Lynas Rare Earths chief executive said the company is in talks with the U.S. government over additional capital costs it could face as it builds a rare earth processing facility in Seadrift, Texas, reported The Wall Street Journal.
In 2023, Lynas secured $258 million in financing from the Pentagon for the project, but says wastewater management issues have added to costs. It is also reviewing the potential impact from new global tariffs.
CEO Amanda Lacaze said it will be beneficial for Lynas to have a presence in the U.S. and doesn’t expect the extra costs to slow or stop the project. However, the expected rise in costs is “sufficiently meaningful for us to not want to carry the risk.”
The Seadrift project is “not a critical path item for us in the same way it is for the U.S. government,” Lacaze noted. The Texas facility will supply both heavy and light rare earth elements (REEs) for the U.S. defense industry and other commercial manufacturers. Lynas’ Mt Weld REE mine in Western Australia will provide feedstock.
Source: The Wall Street Journal