Seven years after the “rare earth element crisis”
of 2009, the rare earth elements (REE) remain
among the most critical of metals, with supply
concentrated in China. Despite intense global
exploration efforts, it has proved
difficult for mining projects outside China to successfully commence
production of the REE, due to a complex set of
financial, environmental and technical concerns. REE
prices have fallen, but demand remains strong – part
icularly for the most critical REE used in high-
strength magnets that are essential to modern
technology and green energy applications, notably Nd,
Dy and Pr. Phosphors also represent an important market, using Eu, Y and Tb
