Lynas Rare Earths has announced the commencement of dysprosium oxide production at its Malaysian facility, positioning the company as the first commercial-scale producer of heavy rare earth products outside China.
The new heavy rare earth separation circuit at the Malaysian facility was commissioned during the March quarter.
In its March 2025 quarterly report, the company forecast the initiation of dysprosium production in May and terbium in June.
During this time, necessary modifications for the production of isolated dysprosium and terbium were finalised, and the production crew initiated the process of charging and commissioning the newly established dedicated solvent extraction circuit.
The circuit generated a modest amount of holmium concentrate, and the process of separating dysprosium (Dy) began at the same time.
The new heavy rare earths circuit will add four new products to Lynas’ portfolio, including dysprosium, terbium, unseparated samarium/europium/gadolinium, and holmium concentrate.
Dysprosium and terbium are considered key elements for high-performance magnets and various electronic components, and demand for these materials remains robust, according to the company.
Lynas Rare Earths CEO and managing director Amanda Lacaze said: “Lynas is pleased to confirm first Dy production on our new production line at Lynas Malaysia. The production of this on spec Dy is a significant step for supply chain resilience and provides customers with the option of sourcing product from an outside China supplier. Lynas is now the world’s only commercial producer of separated Heavy Rare Earth products outside China.”
“Lynas is uniquely positioned to contribute to and benefit from efforts to diversify and rebuild supply chains, including opportunities for a sustained market restructure. We are engaged with customers in Japan, the US and Europe regarding heavy rare earths supply. The development of our new heavy rare earths separation circuit reflects the unique skills and expertise of our people.”
In November 2024, Lynas inaugurated its A$800m ($525m) Kalgoorlie rare earths processing facility in Western Australia.
