Lynas Malaysia Sdn Bhd ‘s operating licence has been renewed for six months subject to several conditions from the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) today.
AELB, in a statement today, said the six-month extension to Lynas’ licence, which is due to expire next month, was based on a cabinet decision.
The rare earth mining company has been slapped with four conditions as a prerequisite for its business here, including an order to build a “cracking and leaching” facility overseas, to transfer said process from its current base in Gebeng, Kuantan, out of Malaysia.
In a statement today, AELB said that the said facility must also be built and start operating within four years from the date of the licence approval.
“After the cracking and leaching facility starts operating overseas, the licence holder is no longer allowed to produce radioactive residue exceeding 1 becquerel per gram in its plant in Gebeng, Kuantan.
“Lynas must also identify a specific lot to build the permanent disposal facility (PDF), and must submit a written consent from the state government for the usage of that lot as a PDF,” AELB said.
It added that the company must also submit its complete building plan for the PDF, as well as sufficient financing plan, to pay for the construction and operation of the PDF.