PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Rare earths miner Lynas on Wednesday said that it was hoping to start the development of its permanent deposit facility (PDF), in Malaysia, by early 2021.
The company has welcomed comments from the Malaysian government that the Atomic Energy Licensing Board had approved the proposed site for the PDF for water leach purification residue, subject to the completion of relevant studies and final regulatory approvals.
Lynas told shareholders that it would be submitting all the relevant studies and applying for the final regulatory approvals over the coming months, adding that the siting, design, construction, operation and closure of the PDF would be in compliance with Malaysia’s regulatory requirements, as well as international best practice.
Lynas in March this year received a new three-year operating licence for its Malaysian operation, giving the company leave to operate in the region until March 2023.
The new operating licence was subject to a number of conditions, including starting work on the development of a PDF within the first year of the licence approval, and the company submitting a work development plan for the construction of the PDF and report its development status as determined by the Malaysian Atomic Energy Licensing Board.
Lynas will have to ensure that its cracking and leaching plant outside of Malaysia is in operation before July 2023, after which time the company would not be allowed to import raw materials containing naturally occurring radioactive material into Malaysia.