Works permit granted for WA Yangibana rare earths process plant

The Western Australian Government Department of Water and Environment Regulation has granted a works permit to Hastings Technology Metals for the construction of the Yangibana rare earths process plant in the upper Gascoyne region. 

The permit is subject to several conditions including design and construction requirements, pollutant emission limits, monitoring requirements and compliance reporting. 

The works permit will cover the construction of facilities for process or beneficiation of metallic or non-metallic ore; mine dewatering; electric power generation; Class II or III putrescible landfill site; bulk storage of chemicals; and sewage facility. 

Among these facilities, Hastings Technology Metals has identified the process plant as the most significant. The process plant will treat rare earths deposits that hosts high contents of neodymuim and praseodymium, which are both used to produce magnets. 

Project location (source: Hastings Technology Metals)

The company will commence construction upon meeting the approval conditions. 

“While Hastings has received State and Commonwealth environmental approvals, the additional focus and rigorous nature of this approval process on polluting facilities such as the process plant provides us and our shareholders with further confidence that the Yangibana Project is able to meet the high regulatory standards set by the Western Australian Government. 

“The regulatory standards set by the WA Government also provide the international community and our major offtake customer, Schaeffler Technologies AG with assurance that the extraction component of the rare earths supply chain is undertaken in an environmentally responsible manner,” Hastings Technology Metals Chief Operating Officer Andrew Reid said. 

The Yangibana Project is located approximately 250 kilometres north east of Carnarvon and the project site will cover about 650 square kilometres. 

The project will include the development of five open pit mines, groundwater abstraction, on-site processing of ore and tailings storage facilities. It will also include the delivery of supporting infrastructure such as access and haul roads, accommodation facilities, administration buildings and an airstrip. 

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Source: Hastings Technology Metals (1, 2); Australian Mining; Mining Weekly Yangi