The German group will be supplied under a 10-year deal from Molycorp’s facility in Mountain Pass, California.

Like other wind OEMs that produce direct-drive turbines, Siemens relies on supplies of rare-earth metals needed for permanent-magnet generators.

Supplies of the materials are dominated by China, which for many years kept a tight rein on their availability via export quotas, and had the power to send foreign users into a panic over availability and pricing.

In