A facility for separating and recycling uncommon earth magnets has been launched on the College of Birmingham, which was opened on 15 January by Chris McDonald MP, Minister for Business within the Division for Power Safety and Web Zero and the Division for Enterprise and Commerce. The brand new facility makes use of an progressive hydrogen-based course of for uncommon earth magnet recycling, which was developed on the college.
Uncommon earth magnets are amongst the ‘important minerals’ possessing strategic significance in lots of trendy industries. They kind a core constructing block in applied sciences equivalent to wind generators, electrical automobiles, and pumps.
Located in Tyseley Power Park in Birmingham, the uncommon earth magnet recycling facility makes use of a course of known as Hydrogen Processing of Magnet Scrap (HPMS) know-how, stated to be an especially environment friendly methodology to extract uncommon earth magnets from end-of-life merchandise with out the necessity to absolutely disassemble them.
The waste is was a sustainable supply of uncommon earths that can be utilized to fabricate new metals, alloys and magnets – with beneficial repercussions for environmental influence, price and provide chain danger.
Minister for Business Chris McDonald MP stated: “This new facility is nice information for the West Midlands which can assist create a whole lot of well-paid native jobs and is testomony to our world-leading experience in uncommon earth recycling.”
The power reportedly scales the method to business manufacturing ranges. A earlier proof-of-concept facility dealt with batches of 50-100kg dimension whereas the brand new facility can recuperate over 400kg of uncommon earth alloy per batch. It turns the fabric into new sintered magnets at 100 tonne capability per yr on a single shift and over 300 tonnes on a number of shifts. The group says magnets could be produced at a fraction of the environmental influence and value in comparison with major manufacturing strategies.
The processing facility re-introduces sintered uncommon earth magnet manufacturing again into the UK for the primary time in 25 years and this can be utilized in major manufacturing of magnets and in producing them from recycled feeds.
By recycling merchandise equivalent to onerous drives, electrical motors, wind generators, robotic actuators, pumps, filters, and electronics, this additionally delivers a CO2 saving of round 90% in comparison with producing magnets from minerals extracted from the bottom, based on the group.
In November 2025, the UK Authorities revealed its up to date ‘Imaginative and prescient 2035: Vital Minerals Technique’ setting out how the UK will enhance resilience on this strategic sector. The Birmingham recycling facility goals to deal with the technique’s targets and is a stepping stone to a bigger scale facility being developed on the location.
Minister for Business Chris McDonald MP stated: “This new facility is nice information for the West Midlands which can assist create a whole lot of well-paid native jobs and is testomony to our world-leading experience in uncommon earth recycling.”
“That is our Vital Minerals Technique in motion, bringing sintered magnet manufacturing again to the UK for the primary time in 25 years and backing progressive tasks to spice up our important minerals provide chains and energy the inexperienced industries of the long run.”
The brand new facility has acquired £4.5 million funding from Innovate UK’s Driving the Electrical Industrialisation Centres (DER-IC) with supporting grants by way of the Innovate Climates Programme, EPSRC, the Superior Propulsion Centre, and EU Horizon grants. This funding supported the UK’s push in the direction of a web zero carbon financial system and contributes to the event of fresh know-how provide chains.
Bruce Adderley from Innovate UK, stated: “Via the realisation of this magnet recycling facility, the UK now has all of the constituent components of a uncommon earth everlasting magnet provide chain for the primary time in over twenty years. As an open entry facility this supplies UK business the chance to entry the abilities and experience, from the College of Birmingham group to scale and commercialise this innovate recycling course of.
“It is a implausible instance of analysis to business information switch and has the potential to de-risk the provision of uncommon earth everlasting magnets to the UKs manufacturing business and make these essential elements extra sustainable.”
Recycling applied sciences developed by the college’s Magnetic Supplies Group have been solely licensed to Hypromag, which is now 100% owned by Maginito, a subsidiary of AIM/TSXV-listed Mkango Assets.
Learn extra in regards to the announcement right here.
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