Global rare earth elements projects: New developments and supply chains

Rare earth elements (REE) are key enablers for the ongoing energy and environmental transition as they are critical raw materials in many low-carbon technologies. In the past few years, many new REE projects have been developed worldwide to replenish the market, and thus are changing the supply chains. Meanwhile, comprehensive data are lacking regarding these projects, impeding investors and policymakers from having a clear view of the global supply of REE. This study establishes a new database of REE projects, along with detailed information sources. Based on these data, we present the current situation and give some critical perspectives on the future. It is shown that there are at least total 146 advanced…