[UPDATED] Govt renews Lynas’ licence till March 2026 with ‘strict conditions’

KUALA LUMPUR – The government has granted a three-year extension to rare earth mining firm Lynas to operate at Gebeng in Pahang until March 2, 2026.

In announcing this, Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang said that strict conditions will continue to be imposed on the company to ensure safe operations.

The government has also rejected Lynas’ application to drop four preconditions under the licence terms in relation to the management of radioactive waste in Malaysia after July this year, as well as the import of lanthanide concentrate from Australia.

At a press conference here today, Chang reminded Lynas to abide by the licence terms with failure to comply possibly leading to it being revoked.

He also reminded Lynas Rare Earths Ltd chief executive and managing director Amanda Lacaze, who yesterday voiced her disappointment over the set conditions for the firm’s operating licence, that the terms were not “a new thing”.

“I’m very sorry to hear about her… disappointment, but the terms that were set (by the government) are nothing new. It is already required under the previous operating licence that was approved in March 2020.

“They are well aware of it and I do not know why they felt disappointed,” he said.

Chang also reiterated that under the terms Lynas is to conduct cracking and leeching activities in Australia, and that no radioactive waste is to be produced in Malaysia after July of this year.

In his statement yesterday, the minister had explained that Lynas was already informed of the Atomic Energy Department’s decision not to consider the company’s request on cracking and leaching activity, waste generation of water leach purification, and the import of lanthanide concentrates from Australia.

The Gebeng plant’s operating licence was set to expire on March 2 this year.

The rejection of Lynas’ request will now mean that it has to shut down cracking and leaching activities at the plant, as they entail processes said to produce radioactive waste. 

However, it can continue other parts of rare earth processing until the next renewal comes up in three years’ time.

Lynas has said previously that reviews by the International Atomic Energy Agency have found the waste to be low-risk.

The plant in Gebeng had been opposed by Pakatan Harapan politicians ahead of the 2018 general election. 

After the coalition won the polls and took federal power that year, then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad renewed the plant’s licence with conditions, citing the need to preserve investments in the country. – The Vibes, February 15, 2023