Insight: World battles to loosen China’s grip on vital rare earths for clean energy transition

Aug 2 (Reuters)

“China made a strategic decision decades ago to develop its rare earth processing capability, despite the environmental consequences of the available technology,” said Melissa Sanderson, president of American Rare Earths (ARR.AX), which is developing several U.S. rare earths projects.

American Rare Earths is working with U.S. government scientists at the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory to develop bacteria that could process rare earths. Privately held Locus Mining and Aether Bio are also studying ways to use biosurfactants and nanotechnology, respectively.