US-backed startup eyes US$600m rare-earth refinery in Malaysia to bypass China

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 — A primarily US-owned startup is planning a US$600 million (RM2.4 billion) investment in a Malaysian rare-earth refinery, aiming to develop a new critical minerals supply chain as Washington moves to reduce its reliance on China.

DTEC Mineral and Metal Technology expects to establish the facility within three years, chief executive officer Milan Perlly said in an interview. The startup recently became the first company to receive permission under Malaysia’s relaxed export regulations to ship unprocessed rare-earth material to the US, Bloomberg reported.

“The larger goal is to make Malaysia the rare-earth elements processing hub for ionic clay in the region,” Perlly said.

Much of Malaysia’s identified rare-earth wealth lies in ion-adsorption clay deposits. These elements bind loosely to clay rather than locking into hard rock, making extraction cheaper and more efficient. Crucially, they contain the heavy rare earths vital for electric vehicles, wind turbines, and advanced military technology.

DTEC Mineral plans an initial processing capacity of 5,000 tonnes annually. The company ultimately envisions two facilities in Malaysia with a combined output of 10,000 tonnes a year.

“The US wants us to build 10,000 metric tons output,” he said. “My goal is to put one plant on the east coast for 5,000 metric tons, a second plant on the west coast.”

Perlly noted the firm is evaluating sites after holding discussions with state officials in Kedah, Terengganu, Perak, and Negeri Sembilan. These new facilities would expand Malaysia’s rare-earth footprint beyond the existing Pahang operations run by Australia’s Lynas Rare Earths Ltd.

Moving forward, DTEC Mineral intends to develop locally sourced ionic-clay deposits and eventually operate its own mine. While government data places Malaysia's rare-earth resources at an estimated 16.1 million tonnes, much of this remains commercially unproven.

To determine the most suitable processing technology, the company is preparing to ship 30 tonnes of unprocessed material to the US for research, having secured approval to export up to 700 tonnes.

Perlly, a Malaysian-born US citizen and former Capital One executive, holds a 51 per cent stake in DTEC Mineral alongside business partner David Greer. Local firm DTEC Engineering and Construction owns the remaining 49 per cent.

The startup harbours ambitions for a dual listing on Bursa Malaysia and either the Nasdaq or New York Stock Exchange.

DTEC was part of a critical minerals pact signed between US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim last year.

According to the company's website, the agreement makes DTEC eligible for funding from the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the US International Development Finance Corporation, and the Department of Defense.

After scraping the Internet, AI giants pledge ‘no scraping’ tool for publishers

Indonesian stocks tumble 41pc; Jakarta goes after tycoons allegedly behind ‘gorengan’ shares

Monaco exits global money laundering watchlist: The playground for the rich is officially less ‘grey’

Stolen Hilux leads cops to syndicate behind eight 4x4 thefts in Perak and KL

Youngest in the race, Pakatan’s Nana says Kelebang needs a voice for women and young people

Rural, urban or both? PM’s pol sec Azman Abidin says Paya Rumput needs a bit of everything

吉隆坡，10 月 31 日讯——一家主要由美国人拥有的初创公司计划向马来西亚一家稀土精炼厂投资 6 亿美元（24 亿令吉），旨在建立一条新的关键矿物供应链，因为华盛顿正在努力减少对中国的依赖。

DTEC矿物与金属技术公司首席执行官米兰·佩利在接受采访时表示，该公司预计将在三年内建成该工厂。据彭博社报道，这家初创公司最近成为首家根据马来西亚放宽的出口管制规定获准向美国出口未加工稀土材料的公司。

“更大的目标是使马来西亚成为该地区离子粘土稀土元素加工中心，”佩利说。

马来西亚已探明的稀土资源大多蕴藏在离子吸附型黏土矿床中。这些元素与黏土的结合力较弱，而非像在坚硬岩石中那样牢固，因此开采成本更低、效率更高。更重要的是，这些矿床富含电动汽车、风力涡轮机和先进军事技术所需的重稀土元素。

DTEC Mineral计划初期年加工能力为5000吨。该公司最终设想在马来西亚建设两座工厂，总年产量达到1万吨。

“美国希望我们建成年产1万吨的工厂，”他说。“我的目标是在东海岸建一座年产5000吨的工厂，在西海岸建第二座工厂。”

佩利指出，该公司在与吉打州、登嘉楼州、霹雳州和森美兰州的官员进行磋商后，正在评估选址。这些新设施将扩大马来西亚的稀土业务规模，使其超越目前由澳大利亚莱纳斯稀土有限公司在彭亨州运营的业务。

展望未来，DTEC Mineral计划开发本地离子粘土矿藏，并最终运营自己的矿山。虽然政府数据显示马来西亚的稀土资源量估计为1610万吨，但其中大部分仍未得到商业验证。

为了确定最合适的加工技术，该公司正准备向美国运送 30 吨未加工材料进行研究，并已获得出口高达 700 吨的许可。

出生于马来西亚的美国公民、前第一资本银行高管佩利与商业伙伴大卫·格里尔共同持有DTEC Mineral公司51%的股份。当地企业DTEC Engineering and Construction持有剩余的49%股份。

这家初创公司怀揣着在马来西亚证券交易所和纳斯达克或纽约证券交易所双重上市的雄心。

DTEC是美国总统唐纳德·特朗普和马来西亚总理拿督斯里安华·易卜拉欣去年签署的关键矿产协议的一部分。

根据该公司网站的信息，该协议使 DTEC 有资格获得美国进出口银行、美国国际发展金融公司和国防部的资金。

在抓取互联网数据后，人工智能巨头承诺为出版商提供“禁止抓取”的工具

印尼股市暴跌41%；雅加达追查涉嫌操纵“暴涨股”的富豪

摩纳哥从全球反洗钱观察名单中移除：富豪们的游乐场正式摆脱了“灰色地带”

一辆被盗的丰田Hilux皮卡帮助警方破获霹雳州和吉隆坡八起四驱车盗窃案的犯罪团伙

最年轻的候选人、希望联盟的娜娜表示，克勒邦需要为妇女和年轻人发声。

乡村、城市还是两者兼顾？总理政治秘书阿兹曼·阿比丁表示，巴耶鲁布特需要兼顾两者。