ASTANA – Australian critical minerals company Lindian Resources and French rare-earth specialist Carester have agreed to advance plans for an 8,000-ton-per-year solvent extraction and rare-earth oxide separation facility in Stepnogorsk, Kazakhstan.
Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times.
Under the agreement, Carester and Australian engineering company Tetra Tech Coffey will progress a definitive feasibility study (DFS), targeted for completion in the fourth quarter of 2026, reported Mining Technology on Sept. 3.
The facility is planned to produce separated rare-earth oxides, including neodymium and praseodymium, alongside a mixed heavy rare-earth compound containing dysprosium, terbium and yttrium.
The project will build on Lindian’s SARECO mixed rare-earth concentrate (MREC) processing facility in Stepnogorsk. Carester will provide process technology and engineering services and review the existing facility for potential optimization and upgrades.
The company’s integrated strategy links its Kangankunde rare-earths project in Malawi, where it plans to produce monazite concentrate, with downstream processing facilities in Kazakhstan.
The proposed solvent extraction facility is designed to receive SARECO product liquor solution and compatible third-party MREC. Lindian is also evaluating additional rare-earth feed sources in Kazakhstan.
The agreement includes a binding 10-year offtake arrangement, with two potential five-year extensions. Carester will purchase 70% of SEGH production and hold a right of first refusal over 70% of mixed heavy rare-earth carbonate produced at SARECO.
Carester will supply the heavy rare-earth products to its Caremag refinery in Lacq, France. Carester, the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) and Iwatani Corporation are developing the refinery.
The Stepnogorsk facility is expected to benefit from existing power, gas, water, rail and reagent infrastructure, potentially providing cost advantages for the proposed expansion.
Lindian Executive Chairman Robert Martin said the agreement supports the company’s strategy of moving further downstream.
“The agreement with Carester represents another significant step in Lindian’s strategy to move further downstream to expand our markets and to capture more of the value from the rare earths that we produce,” Martin said.
The DFS is expected to be completed by the end of this year and will determine the next stage of development for the proposed facility.
