The rare earth industry continues to be an important part of not only the development and manufacture of high-end technologies, but also as a geopolitical tool in an increasingly unstable and unpredictable global market. Disruptions to supply chains caused by tariffs, the imposition of sourcing restrictions for some products and uncertainty over the future of major producers has resulted in a renewed focus on diversifying the source of rare earth products, particularly outside of China. Simultaneously, the Chinese industry has continued to introduce legislation to ‘clean-up’ their domestic rare earth industry, tackling the environmental, social and governmental impact of historical production.
Demand for rare earths is diverse, with rare earth products being consumed in many end-use applications which may only require one or two separated rare earth compounds or products. Roskill forecast rare earth demand to grow by over 5% in 2019, driven by the increased use of rare earth permanent magnets in automotive and renewable energy applications, supported by underlying demand growth in catalysts, ceramics and polishing powders.
Rainbow Rare Earths Ltd (LON:RBW) is a mining company focussed on production from, and expansion of, the high grade Gakara Rare Earth Project in Burundi, East Africa. With in-situ grades in the range of 47-67% Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO), Gakara is one of the world’s richest rare earth deposits.