A sleeping mine wakes up<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Steenkampskraal was first opened in 1952 by Anglo American and later placed on care and maintenance after operations stopped in 1963. The project was formally brought out of that long pause in 2024, after approvals from South Africa\u2019s National Nuclear Regulator and the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also Read: The FBI and Homeland Security visited two Miami creators after a drone flight over a FIFA no-fly zone<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\nThe company says funding for the first phase metallurgical processing plant has been secured through the Industrial Development Corporation. Construction is already underway, with plant commissioning scheduled for August 2026 and first shipments expected before the end of 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why rare earths matter<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Rare earths are a group of 17 elements, not usually rare in the everyday sense. The U.S. Geological Survey says the main economic sources include minerals such as monazite, bastnasite, loparite, and lateritic ion-adsorption clays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For ordinary people, they show up in objects we barely think about. Neodymium and praseodymium help make strong magnets for small speakers and electric vehicle motors, while dysprosium and terbium help magnets keep their strength in high heat. That is why a mine can matter to everything from headphones to offshore wind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/okdiario.com\/techy\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/south-africa-steenkampskraal-rare-earth-mine.jpg\" "\\"\\"")
After six decades of dormancy, Steenkampskraal has successfully produced high-purity rare earth products, marking a major milestone for South Africa’s critical minerals sector.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe clean-energy angle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The International Energy Agency says demand for magnet rare earth elements has doubled since 2015 and is set to grow by another third by 2030 under today\u2019s policy settings. It also says rare earth elements are essential for permanent magnets used in wind turbines and electric vehicle motors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Herein lies the green paradox. Technologies that cut emissions need more mining, more processing, and more electricity. That does not make the energy transition wrong, but it does make environmental oversight, worker safety, and reliable power part of the same story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A resource with a defense shadow<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The deposit\u2019s value is not only environmental. The U.S. Department of Energy<\/a> says rare earth elements play a critical role in national security, energy independence, economic growth, and the environmental future.<\/p>\n\n\n\nThe defense side is even sharper. The U.S. Defense Department says rare earth permanent magnets are used in systems including the F-35, Virginia and Columbia class submarines, drones, radar systems, Tomahawk missiles, and precision-guided weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The clean-energy angle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The International Energy Agency says demand for magnet rare earth elements has doubled since 2015 and is set to grow by another third by 2030 under today\u2019s policy settings. It also says rare earth elements are essential for permanent magnets used in wind turbines and electric vehicle motors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Herein lies the green paradox. Technologies that cut emissions need more mining, more processing, and more electricity. That does not make the energy transition wrong, but it does make environmental oversight, worker safety, and reliable power part of the same story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A resource with a defense shadow<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The deposit\u2019s value is not only environmental. The U.S. Department of Energy<\/a> says rare earth elements play a critical role in national security, energy independence, economic growth, and the environmental future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The defense side is even sharper. The U.S. Defense Department says rare earth permanent magnets are used in systems including the F-35, Virginia and Columbia class submarines, drones, radar systems, Tomahawk missiles, and precision-guided weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n