Lynas Corporation has announced the commencement of operations of its rare earth refinery here. The Australian miner said in a statement Friday that the first feed to kiln was now underway at its Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP) in Gebeng here.

"Initial feeding of concentrate into the kiln has occurred, and the current plan is to progress to continuous feed by next week," it said.

It added that Lynas anticipates a ramp-up period of three to four months until first commercial sales and subsequent cash generation.

Lynas executive chairman Nicholas Curtis hailed this as a significant milestone for the company.

"The operation of the LAMP is now a reality, and the LAMP will provide real data that will assure people that the LAMP is entirely safe for our local communities and the environment.

“We are excited to start creating value at the LAMP, and we look forward to sharing that value with all of our key stakeholders, including the communities in which we operate," he said in the statement.