Race for rare earths: SA has promising projects... and one has US govt support
Rare earths are not especially rare. Rather, they tend to occur widely together in nature - all 17 of them. But they are difficult to separate from one another, making their successful economic recovery truly rare.
It's no secret that China dominates this market. Having made a strategic decision to do so many decades ago, it now controls almost 70% of the world's rare earth extraction and 90% of its processing. And now, in the ever-evolving trade spat between the US and China, Beijing has suspended exports of rare earth minerals.
Rare earths are used in a vast number of critical applications. Four rare elements in particular - neodymium, praseodymium, terbium, and dysprosium - are in high demand for their application in permanent magnets, which are key in the manufacture of just about all modern technology.
A sizeable chunk of permanent magnets go into consumer electronics - from cellphones to ear pods to portable speakers and more.
When it comes to green tech, wind turbines require a huge amount of permanent magnets - as much as 1.8 tonnes per turbine, depending on the design. Electric vehicles contain up to 3kg of permanent magnets per vehicle.
Rare earths also play a hugely strategic role in the defence market. A F-35 fighter jet is said to contain over 400kg of rare earths. These elements are also found in Abrams battle tanks, California-class submarines, all night vision goggles and heat-seeking missiles.
Undoubtedly, a nation like the US cannot go without them and is actively seeking alternative sources of supply outside of China
While South Africa currently produces no rare earths, it is home to the highest-grade rare earths mine on the planet.
That is, Steenkampskraal - a former Anglo American-owned mine that has been out of production since the 1960s.
The developers were unavailable for comment but, reportedly, the project north of Vanrhynsdorp in the Western Cape is progressing toward production and continues to seek investment to fund its development phases.
Industry observers however say there is a challenge as the resource contains a great deal of thorium - a radioactive element used as nuclear fuel, which is feared may introduce additional complexity around mining of the resource.
However, it is understood that approval from the National Nuclear Regulator has been granted and that construction on a new processing plant at Steenkampskraal is scheduled to commence in the second quarter of 2025.
Director of mining at investment group Modern Corporate Solutions, Peter Major, says the radiation can be overcome. "Canada's got resources that are literally 30% uranium. They almost have to use robots to get it. Steenkampskraal is nothing like that and can easily be mined. It's probably the easiest mining I've ever seen," he said.
There are other rare earths projects too. Zandkopsdrift Rare Earth Project in the Northern Cape is also purportedly targeting production for 2027.
Rio Tinto's Richards Bay Minerals, which produces titanium dioxide, pig iron and zircon from mineral sands on the KwaZulu-Natal coastline, told News24 it is working on ways to harness rare earth elements out of its tailings.
AfriMat's Glenover Phosphate project holds rare earths, but the company has yet to produce any. While phosphates are being produced, there is ongoing research and development in order to better understand the ore body and to formulate design processes.
"It's probably going take at least another two years before we actually can start producing the highest-grades of rare-earths in the world.
It's no secret that China dominates this market. Having made a strategic decision to do so many decades ago, it now controls almost 70% of the world's rare earth extraction and 90% of its processing. And now, in the ever-evolving trade spat between the US and China, Beijing has suspended exports of rare earth minerals.
Rare earths are used in a vast number of critical applications. Four rare elements in particular - neodymium, praseodymium, terbium, and dysprosium - are in high demand for their application in permanent magnets, which are key in the manufacture of just about all modern technology.
A sizeable chunk of permanent magnets go into consumer electronics - from cellphones to ear pods to portable speakers and more.
When it comes to green tech, wind turbines require a huge amount of permanent magnets - as much as 1.8 tonnes per turbine, depending on the design. Electric vehicles contain up to 3kg of permanent magnets per vehicle.
Rare earths also play a hugely strategic role in the defence market. A F-35 fighter jet is said to contain over 400kg of rare earths. These elements are also found in Abrams battle tanks, California-class submarines, all night vision goggles and heat-seeking missiles.
Undoubtedly, a nation like the US cannot go without them and is actively seeking alternative sources of supply outside of China
While South Africa currently produces no rare earths, it is home to the highest-grade rare earths mine on the planet.
That is, Steenkampskraal - a former Anglo American-owned mine that has been out of production since the 1960s.
The developers were unavailable for comment but, reportedly, the project north of Vanrhynsdorp in the Western Cape is progressing toward production and continues to seek investment to fund its development phases.
Industry observers however say there is a challenge as the resource contains a great deal of thorium - a radioactive element used as nuclear fuel, which is feared may introduce additional complexity around mining of the resource.
However, it is understood that approval from the National Nuclear Regulator has been granted and that construction on a new processing plant at Steenkampskraal is scheduled to commence in the second quarter of 2025.
Director of mining at investment group Modern Corporate Solutions, Peter Major, says the radiation can be overcome. "Canada's got resources that are literally 30% uranium. They almost have to use robots to get it. Steenkampskraal is nothing like that and can easily be mined. It's probably the easiest mining I've ever seen," he said.
There are other rare earths projects too. Zandkopsdrift Rare Earth Project in the Northern Cape is also purportedly targeting production for 2027.
Rio Tinto's Richards Bay Minerals, which produces titanium dioxide, pig iron and zircon from mineral sands on the KwaZulu-Natal coastline, told News24 it is working on ways to harness rare earth elements out of its tailings.
AfriMat's Glenover Phosphate project holds rare earths, but the company has yet to produce any. While phosphates are being produced, there is ongoing research and development in order to better understand the ore body and to formulate design processes.
"It's probably going take at least another two years before we actually can start producing the highest-grades of rare-earths in the world.
