The brief
- Started commercial NdPr production for magnets at La Rochelle in April 2025.
- Approved €15-20M to separate heavy rare earths dysprosium and terbium at industrial scale from autumn 2026.
- Aims to supply 30% of Europe's magnet-grade rare earths by 2030; supply deals signed with US magnet makers.
Technical approach
Separation
Pulling apart near-identical elements
Rare earths behave almost the same chemically, so they are split by repeating a liquid-liquid extraction step many times over until each one is pure.
Feedstock
Many sources, including recycling
La Rochelle buys mixed rare earth concentrates from mining partners and recycled material, then refines them into pure oxides for magnet makers.
Process
Reworked, cleaner process
Solvay is redesigning its decades-old process with targets of 40% less CO2 and half the water use by 2030.
