Molycorp, Inc. (Greenwood Village, Colo.; www.molycorp.com) today announced that all key production components of its new state-of-the-art rare earth manufacturing complex in Mountain Pass, Calif. are up and operational and that the facility has begun ramping up to its full-scale “Phase 1” run rate.
The Company expects that with an orderly ramp up of production it will reach or exceed its Phase 1 run rate of 19,050 metric tons per year of rare earth oxide equivalent (REO) by mid-year.
The Mountain Pass complex is designed to be able to allow for expanded production to a “Phase 2” rate of as much as 40,000 metric tons per year of rare earth oxide equivalent. However, the Company stated that, while most of the equipment necessary to complete Project Phoenix Phase 2 is already on site, the decision to complete Phase 2 construction and start-up will not be made until market demand, product pricing, capital availability, and financial returns justify additional increases in production beyond Phase 1.