Four decades ago, a rare earth processing plant on France’s Atlantic coast was one of the largest in the world, producing materials essential for color televisions, arc lights, and camera lenses Today, its owner Solvay is striving to rejuvenate the La Rochelle plant after years of reduced output, aligning with Europe’s efforts to enhance mineral production vital for the green energy transition
The factory’s 76-year history highlights the challenges faced by Europe and the United States as they attempt to reverse the significant shift of rare earth processing to China that began around 25 years ago China emerged as a dominant force in rare earths, a group of 17 minerals, by offering lower prices than the West, bolstered by government support and often disregarding environmental concerns that accompany the sector’s toxic waste production
