美国和澳大利亚努力建立基础设施以提取和处理稀土元素，以支持清洁能源技术和反对中国的市场优势。

美国国防部已向总部位于澳大利亚的国内Lynas Rare Earths Ltd.授予了1.2亿美元的合同，以建造美国的第一个重型稀土加工厂，而MP材料则在稀土金属上开始建设合金和磁铁制造工厂，都位于德克萨斯州。与此同时，Fluor Corp.赢得了未公开价值的EPC合同，以开发澳大利亚的第一个稀土炼油厂。

DOD’s June 14 contract is for the first industrial scale separation and processing plant for heavy rare earth elements to support energy and commercial products as well as a supply chain for the U.S. defense and industrial base, in a direct investment to boost capacity that market observers say is rare for the U.S. government.

The contract is a “cornerstone” in securing resilient supply chains that allows the U.S. and allies to end dependence on foreign supplies, Halimah Najieb-Locke, a deputy assistant defense secretary, said in a statement. Demand for rare earths such as cobalt, copper, lithium and nickel are on a sharp rise for use in electric vehicle production and solar and wind energy generation.

原料将是来自西澳大利亚州Lynas矿的稀土碳酸盐。该公司在将材料发送到美国之前，正在那里建造一家工厂以进行初始处理

Lynas USA LLC计划在2021年宣布的一家稀有地球分离工厂旁边找到该工厂，并由DOD资助，该工厂将其投资限制在3000万美元中。

Lynas奖项由该机构的工业基础分析和维持计划提供资金，并根据《国防生产法》颁发。Lynas USA将在其澳大利亚父母的帮助下设计，建造和委托工厂。

MP Materials, which owns and operates the rare earth mining and processing site in Mountain Pass, Calif., in April began construction of the first U.S. rare earth metal, alloy and magnet manufacturing plant in Fort Worth. The facility is a “substantial component” of a $700-million investment the company will make during the next two years to restore the U.S. rare earth magnetics supply chain, the company said. DOD in February awarded MP Materials $35 million to refine and separate heavy rare earth elements at Mountain Pass, which will be feedstock for the Fort Worth plant.

通用汽车在12月表示，它已经与MP材料进行了战略合作，以开发用于通用电动汽车中使用的稀土磁铁的完全集成的供应链。生产应在2023年开始。

澳大利亚提高能力

Fluor与Iluka Resources的6月22日宣布合同是在西澳大利亚州Eneabba的一家完全集成的稀土炼油厂。荧光发言人拒绝共享合同价值。建设将于今年开始，将于2025年开始运营。澳大利亚拥有世界第六大稀土储量。

The government of Western Australia on June 22 launched an effort to become what officials said would become the "choice for investment across the battery and critical minerals value chain.”

The state says it has attracted more than $9 billion of investment for battery and critical mineral projects over the past decade including mineral processing plants. They include BHP Nickel West, Australia’s first nickel sulphate crystals, which began operating in October 2021. When fully operational it will produce enough nickel sulphate annually to make 700,000 electric vehicle batteries, the company said.

生态图正在接受其电池阳极材料工厂的批准。澳大利亚政府在2月份获得了5600万美元贷款的有条件批准，以扩大其拟议工厂。

黑斯廷斯技术金属预计开始若干uction of the Yangibana Rare Earths project in the third quarter of this year after receiving final approvals. Production is expected to begin at the end of 2023. It has a $140-million loan to support construction. Australian Vanadium has a $49-million grant from the government for a proposed vanadium mine and processing plant.

Lynas Rare Earths began construction on the country’s first rare earths processing plant in April that is scheduled to begin operating in July 2023. Pure Battery Technologies in partnership with Poseidon Nickel in March received a $119.6-million government grant or a proposed battery cathode active material refinery hub.

该公司告诉ENR，总部位于北卡罗来纳州夏洛特的专业化学公司Albemarle还正在建造一个氢氧化锂加工厂，并在西澳大利亚州进行两次加工火车将于今年委托。新利luck发言人说，多家公司参与了设施建设。