RARE earths producer Lynas Corp said it may be forced to close down its Malaysian processing facility in six months after admitting that conditions imposed by Putrajaya for the renewal of its operating licence are “unachievable”, reports The Australian.

Last December, the government announced rules requiring Lynas to remove 450,000 metric tonnes of radioactive waste, or water leach purification (WLP) residue, out of the country by September 2 this year, which is when its licence expires.