MALAYSIA has extended the licence of a controversial Australian-run rare earths plant for three years, said its operator today, despite concerns about the impact of the radioactive waste it produces.

Lynas hopes its factory, which has processed rare earths from Australia since 2012, can reduce Chinese dominance in the market for the materials.

Rare earths are used in everything from missiles to mobile phones, and Lynas is the only major producer of the materials outside China.

Environmentalists and some politicians are opposed to the plant on the peninsula’s east coast owing to health fears related to the waste, and a review of its operations was launched in 2018.

But, the company confirmed that Malaysian authorities have granted a new licence to operate until March 2023.

The previous licence expired last September, and Lynas was initially given a six-month extension.

“Over the past eight years, we have demonstrated that our operations are safe,” said CEO Amanda Lacaze in a statement announcing the extension.

Lynas has to satisfy several conditions, including transferring some work that generates low-level radioactive waste to another country.

It must also identify a site to build a disposal facility for the waste. – AFP, February 27, 2020.