A feasibility study into the construction and supply side dynamics of a magnet rare earth recycling plant in the UK

Ionic Technologies and British Geological Survey (BGS) are seeking to remove obstacles currently preventing the establishment of a secure supply of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) for the UK, through the implementation of an ambitious and advanced study into the REE ecosystem within the country and the feasibility of a first-of-kind commercial REE production facility in Belfast, fed exclusively with waste magnets and end-of-life material.

The two organisations have created an extraordinary collaborative working group in order to meet coherent interests in the public interest, as well as satisfying Ionic Technologies' technical requirements to enable the next phase of the business' rapid growth to commercial scale in the UK.

The project will expand on the existing BGS material stocks and flows model for REEs developed already with new, pertinent data on wind turbines, EVs and other vehicles, all containing significant REE content, which could be recycled within the UK. With this data, Ionic Technologies will be able to specify a commercial facility, capable of receiving end-of-life or waste magnet material of varying quality, putting this material through a plant designed using Ionic Technologies' patented technology, in order to produce Rare Earth Oxides (REOs) with purity of around 99.5%+ quality. REOs of this quality can be used for high specification magnets, utilised in EVs and defence applications as well as technology such as wind turbines.

In addition to a significant expansion of publicly owned data on the REE eco-system in the UK, the project will also equip Ionic Technologies with essential technical data to create a source of REOs that could provide the UK with a secure, sovereign supply of REEs independent of geo-political influence and supply chain insecurity.