Imagine trying to bake a cake but having to buy all the flour from one single store across the ocean. This project is like finding a local farm and building the entire mill and bakery right here in Europe. It turns raw rocks from Norway and the Czech Republic into the high-strength magnets needed for electric cars and wind turbines.
European industries for electric mobility and renewable energy are 100% dependent on Chinese imports for rare earth elements. This creates a critical strategic vulnerability and supply chain risk.
An integrated production flow from mine to magnet, including opto-magnetic sorting, froth flotation, and solvent extraction processes.
If you are an EV manufacturer dealing with 100% dependence on Chinese imports for motor magnets — this project developed a European value chain that produces neodymium and praseodymium metals. This ensures a secure supply of materials for high energy-efficient motors.
If you are a turbine producer dealing with supply chain instability for permanent magnets — this project developed a process to extract rare earths from European primary resources. This allows for the production of 50 kg of permanent magnets using local materials.
If you are a processing plant dealing with inefficient ore sorting — this project developed opto-magnetically induced sorting and froth flotation techniques. These tools help extract rare earth oxides from deposits like the Fen carbonatite in Norway.
The project aims to demonstrate the production of 50-100 kg of rare earth oxides at a cost similar to commercial values from Chinese production.
The project will process approximately 10 tonnes of ores to produce 50-100 kg of rare earth oxides and enough alloy for 50 kg of permanent magnets.
Based on available project data, the project focuses on developing a business plan to attract investors and stimulate a competitive European value chain, though specific licensing terms are not listed.
The project runs from 2024-01-01 to 2027-12-31, moving through optimization and piloting phases to reach TRL7.
The technology is intended for implementation in direct extraction during uranium beneficiation, linking it to nuclear energy supply chains.
The consortium is heavily industry-driven with a 55% industry ratio, comprising 6 industrial partners and 5 SMEs across 9 countries. This strong commercial presence, led by SINTEF AS, suggests a focus on market viability rather than pure academic research, with a clear path toward a business plan for investors.
Contact SINTEF AS regarding the integrated REE value chain
Contact us to connect with the SUPREEMO consortium for early adoption of European REE processing.
