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NO REE NO NEW HYBRIDS

Created April 13, 2008, at 8:43 am by 4now

Hi!

On january 15 2008 China limited their export of Rare Earth Elements (neodymium,lanthanum,...)
to 22870tons for 2008 while in 2007 they exported 49000tons.
As demand for this REE grows at an anually rate of 10-15% their is a shortage of ~30000tons this year which should increase because for 2012 it is expected that china will be an importer of REE.

So where to get that REE for the batteries and other systems of a hybrid car ?
There are no REE producers in the NotChinaWorld at the moment.

There is a Mine in Mountain Pass which produces from stockpile after they were closed for environmental reasons. The new owner Chevron tries to reopen it 2012-13.

In Canada their is Great Western Minerals which has two big REE deposits in Saskatchewan and in Utah. But it seems that their are not many Investors sustaining them. (www.gwmg.ca)

In Australia their are Lynas and Arafura that try to built their mines but they cant deliver before
2010 and 2012 for the later.

So the carmakers announce a lot new hybrids but without the REE their will be no hybrids.

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ssilver925
Junior Member

2 years ago

Does somebody who knows more about this story or Rare Earth Elements want to reassure me? http://bit.ly/5UZgp4

The term "rare earth" arises from the rare earth minerals from which they were first isolated, which were uncommon oxide-type minerals (earths) found in Gadolinite extracted from one mine in the village of Ytterby, Sweden. However, with the exception of the highly-unstable promethium, rare earth elements are found in relatively high concentrations in the earth's crust, with cerium being the 25th most abundant element in the earth's crust at 68 parts per million.

All this means, there is a lot of it in the dirt under your feet.

China pays a miner $3,000yr, US pays a miner $65,000yr. Industrial Mining is not eco friendly, and has largely been exported. Rare mineral mining on the other hand has not, and it is expensive.

Need more info, give a holler

BB

2 years ago

Yes. Check this out:

http://www.hybridcars.com/news/shortage-rare-metals-hybrids-overblown-26...

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