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coVeR

longevity in key
every level, whether it’s technicians and people during constructions with up to “ Having that
operators, right through to our senior man- 128 new jobs created for future opera- roles at every level,
agers, is certainly part of our success and tions.
I am absolutely delighted that we have so Lacaze said the support the company whether it’s technicians
many 10-year pins and more that we’re was receiving from the Goldfields com- and operators, right
handing out. munity to develop Kalgoorlie’s first rare through to our senior
“This technology for processing rare earths processing facility had been un-
earths is something that the west basically wavering. managers, is certainly part
walked away from 20-odd years ago, and “The way the Kalgoorlie-Boulder City of our success.
the Chinese haven’t been keen to share Council has supported us in really prac-
their technology – go figure – so we’ve ac- tical ways to develop this project has
tually had to develop a lot of those skills been second to none…always ensuring of its operating licence renewal in Malay-
and capabilities ourselves and so the IP we have what we need to be successful,” sia. However, the surge in demand for rare
which sits within our workforce is unique she said. earths products has meant it was some-
in the west. “I get excited every time I go on that site thing Lynas would have needed to do any-
“We have a lot of people who truly are because I see something new. It is very way.
experts in this area now and that’s, of exciting for our business and we’ve been Last month the company announced it
course, part of why they want to keep com- able to take the lessons we’ve learned had signed a follow-on contract for circa
ing back to work because they know what from the plant in Malaysia and address $US120 million with the US Department
they do makes a difference.” some of the things which were not as good of Defence to establish a first-of-its-kind
The next decade for Lynas will likely be as they could have been right from day commercial heavy rare earths separa-
defined by the success of its growth pro- one, to make sure that we design and build tion facility, likely to be located within an
jects, including the $500 million Kalgoorlie this so it’s a better plant.” existing industrial area on the Gulf Coast
cracking and leaching plant which is on The decision to build a rare earths pro- of Texas. First operations are targeted for
track to be operational in July next year. cessing plant in Kalgoorlie was initially FY2025.
An upstream project, the Kalgoorlie born out of a requirement to relocate its Lacaze said the company’s growth
facility is expected to require almost 300 cracking and leaching processes as part arm – referred to corporately as the Lynas

Mt Weld, near Leonora, is considered one of
the best rare earths deposits in the world

Page 26 JULY 2022 aUSTRaLIa’S PaYDIRT