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coVeR Concentrate from Mt Weld is shipped to Gebeng, Malaysia, where it is separated into
rare earth materials for export to manufacturing markets in Asia, Europe and the US

When we sit around the table to deal with
an issue, we have a diversity of input,
people have got different experiences and we’re
“e likely to get novel or creative answers
mor
than if you sit around a table where everybody
looks the same.

2025 foundation projects which are aimed way, we would not be walking away from are healthier for everybody than concen-
at increasing its rare earths output by 50% the billion dollars that we’ve got on the trated markets. So, a more competitive
– did not spell the potential end of its as- ground there. rare earths industry is good for Lynas, it’s
sociation with Malaysia. In fact, it is com- “Quite simply, it’s not a case of will it be an opportunity for us to prove how good
pletely the opposite. here or will it be there. It’s will it be here we are at what we do and it’s an oppor-
“Because we’ve got this great challenge and will it be there.” tunity for us to continue to innovate. If we
of just how we grow fast, it’s not an ‘either/ Lynas has been the clear leader among stand still, then maybe people will catch
or”; it’s an ‘and’,” Lacaze explained. non-Chinese rare earth producers for up to us, but we have no intentions of
“We’re assessing right now how we some time. While improved NdPr prices standing still.
grow our downstream throughput and we and the return of sentiment towards the “Competition is good. It might sort of
will announce that once we have com- sector has sprouted a new class of rare feel at the beginning that, ‘oh, isn’t it nice
pleted all of that work. But, it’s certainly earths hopefuls, including the emergence to be the only one in the playground’ but
not a case of do we walk away from one of ionic clay-hosted project opportunities actually having more is better. The mar-
and just focus on another because actually outside China, Lacaze warned entry to ket grows faster and everybody gets to
the market is growing fast and we need to what still remains a complex market will prove how good they can be. Our task is
grow our throughput accordingly. not be as straightforward as some cur- to make sure that we keep getting better,
“Malaysia is an excellent place for Lynas rently believe. faster than anybody else.”
because it is close to our customers and “Rare earths isn’t for the faint hearted… As one of the few female managing
we’ve built a lot of skills and capabilities so for some of the potential aspirants I directors of a major resources business,
there. A lot of our IP is within the heads don’t think the path will be quite as easy Lacaze has been described as a trailblaz-
of our Malaysian people and so we won’t as the spreadsheets suggest,” she said. er for her relentless ambition to improve
walk away from that easily. In the same “Having said that, competitive markets diversity – both gender and nationality –

Page 28 JULY 2022 aUSTRaLIa’S PaYDIRT