Malaysia’s science minister has offered a solution for Lynas Rare Earths as the company faces a partial shutdown of its Malaysia processing plant.
Lynas last week announced Malaysia’s Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) had chosen to renew its Malaysia operating licence without removing conditions that prohibit the import and processing of lanthanide concentrate.
The rare earths miner had applied to the Malaysian regulator for these conditions to be removed given they are a variation from the conditions set out in the previous four operation licences.
The renewed operating license is effective from March 3, 2023 for three years, and the lanthanide concentrate ban would come into effect from July 1, 2023.
Malaysia’s Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) Chang Lih Kang took to Twitter to suggest a solution for Lynas.
“If someone is willing to ship the ‘low risk radioactive waste’ (as claimed) out of our country, the government can consider retaining C & L plant in Gebeng,” he said in a tweet on Sunday.
Kang is referring to the cracking and leaching component of Lynas’ Malaysia plant, which would be shut down if the lanthanide concentrate ban isn’t lifted before July.
While the low-level radioactivity associated with cracking and leaching has raised concerns in Malaysia, four independent scientific reviews, including two reviews from the International Atomic Energy Agency, have endorsed Lynas’ Malaysia operations to be “low risk and compliant with relevant regulation”.
The company has also safely operated in Malaysia for the past ten years.
Lynas has appealed to the Minister of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, where it is “seeking administrative review” of the AELB’s failure to consider the company’s application to remove licence conditions that prohibit lanthanide import and processing.
Lynas is developing a cracking and leaching plant in Kalgoorlie, however that might not come online by July 1.
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