Lynas Rare Earths begins contracting for process plant

The rare earths processing facility will treat concentrate from the Mt Weld mine to produce rare earth carbonate for export to Lynas’ Malaysian facility for further processing.

WestStar’s engineering, construction and contracting business Alltype Engineering has been keen to ramp up its strategic plan to deliver major construction projects, and the Lynas contract will bolster this plan as works begin immediately.

Alltype managing director Kelvin Andrijich said the business had been building to this moment for some months.

“During our FY21 (financial year 2021) strategic planning in 2020, we identified a niche market opportunity in the rotary kiln and rotating equipment installation space,” Andrijich said.

“It is very pleasing to see that the subsequent business case and execution of this strategy 12 months later has resulted in securing our first rotary kiln erection contract as part of the landmark Lynas Rare Earths processing facility development in Kalgoorlie.”

The rotary kiln will be six metres wide and 110 metres long.

The contract will also encompass the fabrication and installation of the discharge end building, a dust chute, primary leach overflow hopper, and the installation of pumps, agitators, piping and electrical instrumentation.

Andrijich said it was rewarding to be acknowledged for Alltype’s expertise in a range of disciplines.

“We are pleased that Lynas has recognised the experience and capability of our delivery team, and the proven self-execution multidiscipline construction capability of Alltype Engineering in the gas, energy, petrochemical and minerals processing industries,” Andrijich said.

“Alltype Engineering has previously undertaken balance of plant scopes around rotary kilns on operational mineral sands and lithium processing sites in the past and we are excited to now be completing the entire turnkey package in addition to those works.”

The Kalgoorlie processing facility was recommended for construction by the Western Australian Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), granted a 30-metre native vegetation buffer was maintained around the site.