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Tag: Ionic Rare Earths

  • Ionic Rare Earths Completes Western World’s First End-to-End Recycled Rare Earth Supply Chain for EV Motor Magnets

    Ionic Rare Earths Completes Western World’s First End-to-End Recycled Rare Earth Supply Chain for EV Motor Magnets

    Ionic Rare Earths has demonstrated what it describes as the Western world’s first complete end-to-end recycled rare earth supply chain for electric vehicle motor magnets, successfully converting Belfast-recycled rare earth oxides into high-specification magnets that passed durability testing at Ford’s UK research and development facility.

    The project, led by the Australian company and supported by the UK government’s CLIMATES initiative, brought together Less Common Metals, GKN and Ford UK in a collaboration designed to test whether recycled rare earth material could meet the exacting quality standards required for EV motor production. The process ran from Ionic’s recycling operations in Belfast — where neodymium, dysprosium and terbium oxides are produced at purities above 99.5% from end-of-life magnets and secondary magnet supply chain materials — through to alloy production by LCM, magnet manufacturing by GKN to Ford’s specifications, and final rotor testing at Ford’s Dunton facility. The recycled material rotor passed the full durability test cycle with results equivalent to rotors produced using conventional production magnets.

    Ionic managing director Tim Harrison described the achievement as the culmination of a landmark technology development. “Ionic Technologies was the first producer of recycled, individually separated magnet REOs in the Western world, and this now proves that its long-loop recycling technology can supply Western supply chains for the most demanding applications,” he said.

    The company received UK government backing in late 2023 to build a commercial rare earth magnet recycling facility in Belfast, which will feed materials to LCM for alloy production, with the resulting magnets intended for Ford’s UK electric vehicle manufacturing operations.

    The demonstration carries policy significance at a moment when the UK is seeking to reduce dependence on imported critical minerals. Under the Critical Minerals Strategy announced in November 2025, the country is targeting domestic production of 10% of its mineral needs and recycling supply of 20% by 2035 — compared with current domestic production accounting for just 6% of critical minerals requirements. The CLIMATES initiative supported 36 circular rare earth projects, with the Ionic-led automotive supply chain designated a flagship.

  • Ionic Rare Earths Completes Feasibility Study for UK Rare Earth Facility

    Ionic Rare Earths Completes Feasibility Study for UK Rare Earth Facility

    Ionic Rare Earths Ltd has completed a feasibility study for its rare earth oxide manufacturing facility in Belfast, UK, confirming the project’s strong financial and environmental viability. The company operates a demonstration plant in Northern Ireland, maintaining a continuous supply of rare earth oxide.

    The study highlights an after-tax net present value (NPV) of $502 million, with an internal rate of return (IRR) of 43.6% and a capital payback period of just 2.4 years. Based on a throughput of 1,200 t/y, the facility is expected to produce 400 t/y of separated magnet rare earth oxides (REO) over a 20-year asset life, generating annual earnings of nearly $1.8 billion.

    Managing Director Tim Harrison emphasized the project’s role in promoting magnet recycling, describing it as environmentally friendly, commercially viable, and a step toward reducing dependence on Chinese rare earth production. “This represents a low capital risk pathway to sovereign magnet REO production, offering strong financial returns through a sustainable, circular economy model,” Harrison stated.

    With backing from the UK government, Ionic is now working on site permits and finalizing the front-end engineering design, with a final investment decision expected in the first half of 2025. Construction is slated to finish by late 2026, and the first commercial deliveries are targeted for early 2027.

    The project is anticipated to create 70 jobs, including roles at a technical center focused on further research in rare earth separation and magnet recycling. Ionic also plans to use the feasibility study to advance agreements for feedstock and off-take contracts.

    The company already has a partnership with Brazilian developer Viridis Mining and Minerals and is advancing its Makuutu heavy rare earths project in Uganda toward production.

  • UK backs Ionic’s supply chain plans

    UK backs Ionic’s supply chain plans

    Ionic Rare Earths, listed on the ASX, has recently entered into a significant partnership agreement with Ford Technologies, Less Common Metals (LCM), and the British Geological Survey to establish a rare earth supply chain based in the UK, utilizing recycled magnets.

    Ionic’s subsidiary, Ionic Technologies, will employ recycling technology to produce high-purity, separated, and traceable rare earths from end-of-life magnets and swarf. These rare earths will be supplied to LCM for alloy production, which will then be converted into NdFeB magnets. Ford Technologies plans to use these magnets in the production of electric vehicles (EVs).

    The UK government has pledged £1 million in support for this partnership project, with an additional £1 million allocated for a feasibility study focused on the construction and supply side dynamics of a magnet rare earth recycling plant. This feasibility study will be conducted in collaboration with the British Geological Survey, and the funding will be provided under the UK government’s circular critical materials supply chains (CLIMATES) program.

    Tim Harrison, Managing Director of Ionic, expressed the significance of this initiative, emphasizing that it will accelerate the mining, refining, and recycling of critical magnet and heavy rare earths essential for energy transition, advanced manufacturing, and defense. He also highlighted Ionic’s strategy to establish a collaborative Western supply chain for rare earths in the UK and the European Union.

    Additionally, Ionic Technologies has received a CLIMATES grant from Innovate UK, further demonstrating their commitment to creating a sustainable supply chain for rare earths in partnership with Ford Technologies and LCM. Another CLIMATES grant will support Ionic Technologies in developing a business case and exploring the potential scale-up of a commercial magnet recycling facility in Belfast, in partnership with the British Geological Survey.

    It’s worth noting that Ionic Rare Earths also owns the Makuutu rare earths project in Uganda, further contributing to its involvement in the rare earths industry.