Kazakhstan rare-earth development and diversification

Kazakhstan is pursuing strategies to reduce its economic and industrial dependence on China, specifically regarding its rare-earth reserves. The country has launched Project Kaz-REE to develop its significant rare-earth deposits—estimated at over 28 million tonnes—through foreign investment, including interest from U.S. and Gulf stakeholders. While seeking to challenge China’s near-monopoly, Astana faces hurdles such as a lack of domestic refining capacity and monitoring by Moscow and Beijing. To support broader economic diversification, Kazakhstan also plans to issue a $500 million yuan-denominated “panda bond” to access lower financing costs.

In the private sector, Lindian Resources has moved toward vertical integration by acquiring 100% ownership of the SARECO mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) facility in Stepnogorsk. Lindian completed the acquisition of the remaining 49% interest for US$20 million in cash, taking full control from previous stakeholders Sumitomo Corporation and Kazatomprom. This facility, one of the few commercial-scale MREC plants operating outside of China, is expected to begin processing by the fourth quarter of 2026.

To support its production goals, Lindian has secured exclusive access to a 13,389-tonne heavy rare earth (HREE) stockpile in Aktau, Kazakhstan. This material, which includes dysprosium, terbium, and yttrium, will serve as feedstock for the SARECO plant. Lindian has further expanded its resource security by securing 12 months of exclusivity over an additional 120,000 metric tonnes of un-extracted material, potentially providing access to over 33,000 metric tonnes in total. This move is intended to complement Lindian’s Kangankunde project in Malawi by expanding its product suite to include elements essential for electric vehicles, defense technologies, and medical equipment.