• Sovereign Metals recovers rare earth–bearing monazite at the Kasiya site

• Tests show high-grade heavy rare earth content alongside rutile residues

• Rare earths could become a low-cost by-product of the project

The Kasiya project in Malawi could also add rare earths to its list of commercial products. Sovereign Metals, the company developing the project, announced Wednesday that it has recovered monazite at the site, which until now had been presented solely as a future rutile and graphite mine.

Monazite is recognized as a primary source of rare earth elements. The company said the concentrate was obtained from residues generated during rutile processing at the project’s dedicated laboratory in Lilongwe. Preliminary analysis indicated a significant presence of heavy rare earths, with an average grade of 2.9% Dysprosium-Terbium (DyTb) and 11.9% Yttrium.

“This composition sets Kasiya apart from all major global rare earth producers. The five largest operations - which together account for over 70% of global production - are dominated by light rare earth elements. Strategically critical heavy rare earths urgently required by US, Japan and EU advanced technology, defence, and industrial supply chains are present only in trace amounts, or absent entirely, in these deposits,” the company said in a statement.

Based on these results, Sovereign Metals plans to launch additional work to assess the potential for rare earth production as a by-product of Kasiya. These technical studies are expected to clarify the economic parameters associated with such an operation. At this stage, the company has expressed optimism about the viability of this option.

Beyond their strategic role in the global energy transition, the potential value of these metals is also supported by technical conditions described as favorable by Sovereign Metals. The company said recovery from processing residues would require “no additional complex processing,” implying a near-zero marginal cost for rare earth production and strengthening the project’s overall economic model.

Pending further details, Sovereign Metals is currently conducting a definitive feasibility study for the Kasiya project, expected to be completed this year. The study will update parameters set out in the prefeasibility study, which projected average annual production of 222,000 tons of rutile and 233,000 tons of graphite over 25 years, with initial capital expenditure estimated at $665 million. If results are favorable, rare earths could be incorporated into this development plan.

Aurel Sèdjro Houenou