Lynas: We'll recycle WLP here whilst relocating processing to Australia

KUANTAN: Lynas Corporation will attempt to recycle its water leach purification (WLP) residue here while relocating the first stage of processing to Australia over the next five years.

Its chief executive officer Amanda Lacaze (pic) said the first step under Lynas' licensing condition was to reuse the WLP.

"What we have done is research to demonstrate the WLP can be formulated into the soil conditioner product CondiSoil.

"This has been done under the supervision of various regulatory authorities. We remain confident this will be the best use of the material," she said when met at Lynas' Hari Raya open house here Tuesday (June 25).

Lacaze said a permanent disposal facility was the second option, and Lynas was prepared to build it in Pahang.

She also said the commitment to move part of Lynas' processing to Australia would cost about RM1.5bil.

"But it will not in any way reduce our commitment to Malaysia. Out operations here have made Malaysia a centre of excellence in rare earth processing.

"We retain our commitment even as we ship some of our processing back to Australia. We will invest further in Malaysia so that we can continue to provide employment for our people and contribute to the economy," she said.

Lynas Malaysia managing director Datuk Mashal Ahmad reportedly said two potential processing sites close to its mine in Western Australia had been identified for the relocation of this first-stage process, also called cracking and leaching.

Mashal said material shipped to Malaysia for processing would not include naturally occurring radioactive material once the new plant was operational.

When asked about the appeal hearing this Friday (June 28), Lacaze said they were confident about it as Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had already stated definitively that Lynas would be allowed to continue operating in Malaysia.

Lynas filed the appeal against the Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Ministry's decision to have the company remove its WLP residue from the country.