LYNAS has been harassed for too long. This is despite the science that says the radiation level of its rare earth processing waste is safe.
Even an endorsement by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations agency for atomic energy, did not stop the harassment.
Lynas became a political football that proved expensive for Malaysia as we try to venture into an industry that gives us a good chance of breaking away from the middle-income trap.
Thanks to pressure from some groups, we fail to bring in foreign direct investment that can spur the downstream rare earths-based manufacturing industry.
A few companies that feared the volatile business climate created by the anti-Lynas feeling moved to Vietnam instead.
But just as Lynas is preparing to wrap up operations in Malaysia, a significant turn of events is unfolding. A technology to extract thorium from the rare earth residues has emerged. This would bring the radiation level even lower.
The groundbreaking approach to process Lynas' radioactive water leach purification (WLP) waste into non-radioactive industrial waste has undergone commercial trials and passed.
The WLP has been the contentious part of the rare earths processing system at Lynas. This breakthrough will be a game changer for the rare earths business. It will no doubt address concerns.
Apparently, thorium extraction research has been around for many years.
In April, Lynas said it had planned either a temporary shutdown of its Malaysian operation or a period of very low production if licence conditions prohibiting the import and processing of lanthanide concentrate remained on July 1.
This new commercially tested thorium extraction technology will not only save the day for Lynas, but also open opportunities for Malaysia in the growing rare earths downstream business.
Kudos to the unity government for the decision last month to allow Lynas to continue its operation.
Research and development on thorium extraction technology has been going on for years in many countries.
The intention is not so much to reduce the radiation level of rare earth waste, but to recover thorium for use in a nuclear power plant with a safer design.
It has been reported that a Russian research consortium has improved the technology used in the alkaline extraction of thorium.
The improved processing technology will create new opportunities for thorium. Thorium is used in conjunction with uranium to create nuclear energy and it is more environmentally friendly than traditional uranium-plutonium fuel.
Unlike uranium, thorium is found in abundance all over the world. A shift to the thorium-uranium cycle would secure the environmentally friendly development of the nuclear industry because this technology does not lead to the accumulation of nuclear waste.
Moreover, according to scientific studies, with thorium-based fuel elements adoption, the nuclear core can be reduced by two to three times with no loss in energy output.
Also, according to this scenario, the reactor can be operated continuously for about 50 years without fuel reloading.
No wonder countries, including India, China and the West, have been researching the option for years now. It was recently reported that China is already running a commercial thorium nuclear plant.
The thorium-uranium combination has indirect benefits.
For example, the production of thorium is positive for the development of the rare earths industry.
Waste from rare earths processing can be used as phosphate fertilisers for agriculture. Our palm oil industry imports large amounts of phosphate fertilisers.
Additionally, thorium-based nuclear reactors have inherent safety features that reduce the risk of nuclear accidents and proliferation.
As the world strives for net zero greenhouse gas emissions, there has been growing interest in the development of thorium-based nuclear energy as an alternative to fossil fuels.
Thorium has a higher energy density than uranium, and produces less waste, making it a viable candidate for a future nuclear fuel.
Thorium has the potential to contribute to a more sustainable nuclear industry. It presents a new business opportunity for Malaysia.
The writer is a professor at the Tan Sri Omar Centre for STI Policy, UCSI University