Rare earth elements: Where in the world are they?
Most rare earth elements find their uses as catalysts and magnets in traditional and low-carbon technologies.
www.mining.comScarce earth ores are a set of 17 featuring scandium, yttrium, and the lanthanides ranging from lanthanum to lutetium, occurring together in many ore sources and essential to magnets, catalysts, as well as clean-energy tech. Cerium the most abundant REE in the crust, while promethium does not occur naturally and is radioactive. Worldwide supply lines have historically depended on a few countries for mining and processing, prompting ongoing diversification efforts and price volatility due to mining, processing, and geopolitical factors. American Molycorp began production at Mountain Pass and targets full capacity to reach 19,050 metric tons, with a facility at Mountain for processing. Rare earth elements are found in catalysts and magnets across modern technology, driving clean-energy applications and advanced manufacturing. Their worldwide importance has led to diversification and supply chain reforms to mitigate price swings from mining, processing, and geopolitics. Overall, rare-earth elements remain crucial to modern technology and green energy development.