20 Million Tons of Rare Earth 'Jackpot' Hits... This Place Instantly Becomes World's 3rd Largest

Kazakhstan Hits Rare Earth 'Jackpot'
If Confirmed, Deposit Size Ranks Third After China and Brazil

A rare earth metal deposit with an estimated maximum amount of over 20 million tons has been discovered in Kazakhstan, Central Asia.

According to TASS news agency on the 3rd (local time), the Kazakhstan Ministry of Industry and Construction stated in a press release the day before that their geologists discovered a deposit estimated to contain more than 20 million tons of rare earth elements such as neodymium, cerium, lanthanum, and yttrium in 'Zhana Kazakhstan' in the Karaganda region of central-eastern Kazakhstan.

This is a reference photo to aid understanding of the article and is unrelated to the main text. Pixabay

The Ministry of Industry and Construction mentioned that the deposit site is located in Zhana Kazakhstan, 420 km away from Kazakhstan's capital, Almaty. It was confirmed that neodymium, cerium, lanthanum, and yttrium are buried in the deposit, and the rare earth content per ton is explained to be 700g. According to the Ministry, there are currently 15 rare earth deposits in Kazakhstan. However, the Ministry did not mention which companies will develop the deposit or the start date of development.

Neodymium is used in electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines, speakers, and headphones, while cerium is used as a catalyst in automotive exhaust purification systems and as a ceramic polish. Lanthanum is utilized in the manufacture of high-quality glass such as camera lenses and telescope lenses, as well as in batteries and hydrogen storage systems. Yttrium is also used in lasers, LEDs, high-temperature superconductors, and as an alloy additive to enhance the strength of metals.

Kazakhstan is not included in the list of rare earth deposit countries by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). If the rare earth quantity of the newly discovered deposit is confirmed, Kazakhstan will rank third in deposit size after China and Brazil. Kazakhstan is rich in various underground resources. Earlier, in October last year, the Ministry of Industry and Construction stated that the country has the capacity to supply almost all critical raw materials needed by the United States and the European Union (EU). The Ministry specifically said that Kazakhstan can supply 21 out of 50 critical raw materials required by the US and 19 out of 34 critical raw materials required by the EU.