Race for rare earths | GE eyes vast Australian minerals project for key wind turbine metals

GE Renewable Energy moved to secure supplies of rare earth metals crucial for its offshore wind turbines when it agreed a partnership deal with a vast minerals project in Australia.

The wind OEM signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Arafura, the company developing the A$1bn ($675m) Nolans mining and processing project that aims to supply 5% of the world’s Neodymium and Praseodymium (NdPr), rare earths crucial to magnets used in giant turbines such as GE’s Haliade-X as well as electric vehicles.