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Malaysia Renews Lynas License With Radioactive Waste Deadline
2 Mar
Summary
- Lynas Rare Earths' operating license renewed for 10 years.
- Radioactive waste must be treated and neutralized by 2031.
- New permanent disposal facility for existing waste due by year's end.
Malaysia has renewed Australian miner Lynas Rare Earths' operating license for a decade, stipulating that all radioactive waste must be treated and neutralized by 2031. Science Minister Chang Lih Kang announced that any radioactive waste produced within the next five years must undergo treatment, such as thorium extraction, to neutralize its hazardous elements. No new permanent disposal facilities will be allowed for future waste.
The license, valid until March 3, 2036, will be subject to a five-year review and can be revoked if conditions are violated. Environmental groups have long advocated for Lynas to export its radioactive waste, citing concerns about its hazardous nature post-processing. Existing radioactive waste will be stored in a permanent disposal facility scheduled for completion by the end of this year.
Lynas Rare Earths' refinery in Malaysia, crucial for high-tech manufacturing, has been operational since 2012. The company aims to meet nearly a third of global rare earth demand outside of China. This development follows the closure of a similar Japanese-operated plant in 1992 due to environmental and health concerns.
