ABx Group has confirmed that its Deep Leads project in northern Tasmania is set to become a strategically vital supplier of high-value heavy rare-earth elements (HREEs).
The company said it has, in partnership with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), produced its first mixed rare-earth carbonate (MREC) sample from the deep lead ionic adsorption clay resource.
According to reports, this maiden product shows exceptionally high concentrations of the two most critical magnet elements, dysprosium (Dy) and terbium (Tb), vital for high-temperature permanent magnets used in electric vehicles (EVs), wind turbines and defence systems.
“This MREC product is simply the best we know of from any ionic rare earth resource outside of China,” ABx Group managing director and chief executive officer Mark Cooksey said. “It offers Western manufacturers a secure source of the exact HREEs, Dy and Tb, that face the most acute supply risk globally.”
The compositional analysis of the MREC sample reveals a world-leading profile, according to a company-distributed report. Dy and Tb constitute an unprecedented 4.7 per cent of the total rare earth oxides (TREO), a concentration that is 2.8–4.7 times higher than peer MRECs globally.
This heavy rare earth loading translates directly into commercial value, yielding a calculated price of $US43.06/kg. This represents a premium of up to 51 per cent compared to competing products, according to ABx Group.
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