US DoD rare earth plant initiative stalled

摘要

Australian rare earth producer Lynas — which won a US Department of Defense (DoD) tender to design a heavy rare earth separation plant — said today that the award is on hold while US domestic political issues are addressed. Lynas, the only large producer and separator of rare earths outside China, won a US DoD tender on 22 April for phase 1 early design work for a project to build the first heavy rare earth separation plant outside China in decades, in conjunction with Texas-based separation firm Blue Line. Without disclosing further details as to why the tender was on hold, Lynas referred to a political debate within the US "on the merits of supply from the US, US allies, and other sources".