Sovereign Metals has announced the recovery of heavy rare earth monazite concentrate from the Kasiya Rutile-Graphite Project in Malawi, East Africa.
This was achieved through processing tailings at the company’s Lilongwe laboratory.
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The monazite concentrates, recovered from material typically discarded during rutile processing, exhibits high levels of heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) such as dysprosium, terbium and yttrium.
These elements are essential in various advanced technologies including defence systems and semiconductor manufacturing.
Preliminary analysis indicates that the monazite contains 2.9–3.9% dysprosium and terbium, and 11.9–17.3% yttrium.
The presence of these elements surpasses levels found in the five largest global rare earth producers, which collectively account for more than 70% of worldwide production but primarily contain light REEs.
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By GlobalDataGiven their strategic importance, these heavy rare earths are crucial for nations aiming to secure supply chains in advanced technology sectors.
Dysprosium and terbium are particularly valuable for use in high-temperature permanent magnets, while yttrium plays a critical role in aerospace and semiconductor manufacturing.
The project’s growing significance is underscored by recent geopolitical developments including a visit from the US State Department to the Malawi operations and China’s export restrictions on heavy rare earths to Japan.
Sovereign Metals managing director and CEO Frank Eagar said: “This is an exceptional development that has the potential to fundamentally enhance Kasiya’s strategic significance.
“With simple processing, our upgraded laboratory has recovered a valuable monazite concentrate product from the rutile tailings stream, with heavy rare earth content that the world’s major producers simply cannot match.
“These are precisely the elements that matter most to nations seeking to protect and grow their critical mineral supply chains. Dysprosium and terbium enable permanent magnets to function in advanced technologies including robotics, fighter jets, guided missiles and naval propulsion systems.”
In March 2025, Sovereign Metals completed the placement of new shares to raise A$40m ($25.2m) to fund its Kasiya Rutile-Graphite project.
