Rare earth elements play an essential role in building new technologies, especially those used for renewable applications; however, the global supply chain has been primarily dominated by China.  

The group is made up of 17 metals that are relatively abundant in the Earth's crust, but are difficult to extract and rarely found in pure form, earning them the name "rare earth." 

Heavy rare earth materials are a subset of that group, and Australian firm Lynas Rare Earths recently announced that it's "now the world's only commercial producer of separated heavy rare earth products outside China."

The company has been operating a rare earth refinery in Malaysia since 2012, where it's been processing "light" rare earth materials used in smartphones and defense applications, according to Mining.com. 

Now that Lynas has begun to produce dysprosium — a key material for manufacturing electric vehicles and wind turbine generators — it represents a major milestone in diversifying the supply chain for heavy rare earths beyond China, according to TechXplore. 

A report from the International Energy Agency has shown that critical mining markets have actually become more concentrated in recent years, with China handling the majority of the supplies aside from nickel.

"In a world of high geopolitical tensions, critical minerals have emerged as a frontline issue in safeguarding global energy and economic security," said IEA executive director Fatih Birol. 

The expansion of Lynas' material processing capabilities marks a potential shift in the market and opens up the possibility of more rare earth processing facilities in other regions. 

Lynas sources most of its ore from its Mt Weld mine in Western Australia and recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Malaysia's Kelantan state government to secure additional feedstocks closer to its processing facility. 

The company pitches itself as an ethical and environmentally responsible producer of rare earth materials, which is especially important given the environmental impact of mining operations.

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"Even with Lynas' production, China will still be in a position of dominance," said Gavin Wendt, founding director and senior resource analyst at MineLife, per the report.

"However, it is a start, and it is crucial that other possible projects in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Europe, and Asia also prove technically viable and can be approved, so that the supply balance can really begin to shift."

While mining is still necessary, there are advancements in recycling that are helping to reduce the need for new raw materials and ultimately lower costs for consumers. 

By extracting and reusing rare earth elements from end-of-life devices, we can keep harmful substances out of landfills and mitigate the impact that mining operations have on local ecosystems.

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