PUTRAJAYA – Australian miner Lynas is expanding its Malaysian operations not only to produce more rare earths, but also to make super magnets from the critical minerals crucial to high-tech applications in electronics and green energy. 

These projects will make Malaysia a vital cog in the global supply chain of rare earths by 2030, according to government plans, by which time the rare earths industry could be worth up to US$28 billion (S$36.4 billion) globally.