Posted on 09 Apr 2025
Belgian chemicals producer Solvay announced Tuesday it has started commercial production of rare earths for permanent magnets in Europe, Kallanish reports.
The milestone is celebrated at its La Rochelle facility on France’s west coast. The undisclosed new production line is described as the company’s first step toward meeting 30% of European demand by 2030.
The company says it will source rare earths and recycled materials from a “diverse range” of suppliers and mining partners to meet EU regulations. Last year, Solvay inked a procurement agreement with Canada-based Cyclic Materials for recycled mixed rare earth oxide (rMREO). Shipments were planned to start in late 2024 ahead of commercial production at La Rochelle.
Solvay has said it would primarily focus on neodymium-praseodymium oxide materials to meet demand from the EV, wind power and electronics markets.
The new production capacity could eventually yield 2,000-5,000 tonnes/year of rare earth oxides, which would then be further processed into metals, alloys and magnets by third parties. This, however, would be subject to the company firming customer orders. A full-scale expansion would demand an investment of around €100 million ($109m) investment.
“We call for strong partnerships and collaboration with authorities, suppliers, and customers to create a competitive and robust value chain for rare earths in Europe,” says ceo Philippe Kehren. “Our expertise, supported by the right partners, will drive the growth and success of the rare earths sector [outside of China].”
The announcement comes days after China announced further export controls on rare earths in response to increased US tariffs. The Asian giant dominates the rare earths value chain, holding 90% of the global processing capacity.
It also follows the EU nomination of five rare earths projects as “strategic.” France is home to two new projects – one recycling and the other processing. Two other processing projects are planned in Poland and Italy, while an extraction and processing development is planned in Sweden.
Source:Kallanish
