Rare earth recycling won’t affect industry—experts
Malawi’s rare earth projects will not significantly suffer from Mkango Resources Limited’s breakthrough to produce rare earth carbonates through recycling of magnet scraps, experts have said.
This follows the announcement by the firm’s United Kingdom-based subsidiary in a statement dated July 8 2024 that it has successfully commissioned a long-loop recycling pilot plant, which processes magnet scrap or swarf to produce rare earth carbonates and oxides via a chemical route.
many deposits in operation
Reads the statement in part: “Mkango Resources Limited is pleased to announce that Mkango Rare Earths UK has successfully commissioned a pilot plant designed to produce separated magnet rare earths via a long-loop recycling process.”
The firm’s chief executive officer William Dawes is quoted in the statement as having said the new initiative is a significant achievement given that some of the hydrogen processing of magnet scrap products are not suitable for short-loop magnet manufacture and will require long-loop chemical processing.
“This pilot plant enables us to determine the cost structure and carbon footprint of the baseline process, enabling the evaluation of different options for long-loop recycling on a commercial basis,” he said.
Geologist Ignatius Kamwanje said in an interview on Tuesday that the emerging rare earth sector in the country stands to learn a lot from the green energy environment aspect associated with the breakthrough.
But he conceded that the technology could limit production of rare earth from deposits.
Kamwanje said Mkango’s rare earth recycling breakthrough does not mean rare earth mining will be affected as this will only affect some elements of the mineral.
Said Kamwanje, who also worked as Kayelekera Uranium Mine geologist: “The rare earths of Mkango have individual elements and to solve the balance problem, this process will be important in the way that it will balance the demand and supply of each individual element at any time making them equal.
“However application of such technology limits production of rare earth from deposits due to the recycling process and since Malawi does not have so many deposits in operation, it will be affected but to a minimal extent.”
In a separate interview, geological expert Grain Malunga said the initiative is a positive milestone to the country’s Mkango Resources Limited’s projects because it has been achieved by a related company
“Since this provides a green energy environment, it is subject to environmental friendliness and reduces environmental challenges associated with rare earths mining and processing,” he said.
Malunga said the local rare earth industry will not be affected by the recycling of the product because of the processing nature and expensiveness of the technology
