Eneabba Rare-Earths Refinery by Iluka Resources: status and timeline

Milestones

Next · Facility commissioning

Government backing and funding securedJun 2026Complete.
Construction >50% completeOct 2026Complete.
Facility commissioningTarget Q2 2027Current milestone.
First rare-earth oxide shipmentsTarget Q3 2027Not yet reached.

Most important updates

Iluka secures AUD 1.65 billion government loan for Eneabba rare-earths refineryJun 2026

Upcoming

Q2 2027Facility commissioning (next)
Q3 2027First rare-earth oxide shipments

Current obstacles

Technical ramp-upNew refinery operations at scale require solving unforeseen process challenges and achieving target yields.
Cost competitivenessAustralian labour and energy are more expensive than China. Must maintain value through reliability and supply-chain security.

Physics limits

Energy intensityRare-earth refining is energy-intensive. WA grid electricity is coal-heavy; decarbonizing the process requires renewable energy investment.
Rare-earth recovery from complex oresMonazite contains thorium and other radioactive elements as well. Handling and waste management add cost and complexity.

How it works

3 parts

Extraction

Sulfuric acid leaching

Monazite ore is leached with sulfuric acid to dissolve rare-earth and other minerals into solution.

Separation

Sequential precipitation

Rare-earth elements are separated by sequential precipitation and ion-exchange, isolating each element from impurities.

Output

Oxides for magnets

The separated rare earths are converted to high-purity oxides ready for neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnet production.

Spec sheet

Spec	Eneabba Rare-Earths Refinery
Location	Eneabba, Western Australia^R (reported)
Project cost	~AUD 1.65 billion^R (reported)
Primary feedstock	Monazite from Iluka mineral sands^R (reported)
Primary products	Neodymium, praseodymium oxides^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Update log

1 update

Jun 2026

Major: Iluka secures AUD 1.65 billion government loan for Eneabba rare-earths refineryPressFunding

About Iluka Resources

The team behind Eneabba Rare-Earths Refinery

Iluka Resources

Rare earths, zircon, monazite, mineral sands

Iluka Resources operates mineral sands mines and is building Australia's first integrated rare-earth refinery at Eneabba, processing monazite to produce rare-earth oxides for permanent magnets.

Eneabba will refine monazite into rare-earth oxides starting mid-2027.
A$1.65bn government loan finances construction, >50% complete.
Auto-maker offtake commitments already signed.

iluka.com (opens iluka.com)Company profile →

Founded: 195472 yrs
Headquarters: Australia
Status: Public
Valuation: $3.4Best. market capOct 2026estimate
Works in: MaterialsLithium & critical minerals
Coverage: 1 program · 1 updatelatest 1 Jun 2026checked 11 Oct
Customers: European auto-makers (opens iluka.com)
Partners: Australian Government (opens iluka.com)

Spec

Eneabba Rare-Earths Refinery

Location

Eneabba, Western Australia^R (reported)

Project cost

~AUD 1.65 billion^R (reported)

Primary feedstock

Monazite from Iluka mineral sands^R (reported)

Primary products

Neodymium, praseodymium oxides^R (reported)