The French company Carester has taken a new step by laying the foundation stone for Caremag, its permanent magnet recycling plant, which is scheduled to be commissioned in 2026.
For Europe, the success of this project represents a significant step forward, as less than 1% of permanent magnets rich in rare earths are recycled in the region.
The commissioning of the Caremag plant will allow France and the European Union to reduce their dependence on Chinese rare earth metals, and its products will be primarily reserved for French and European plants.
China's monopoly on rare earths is a serious strategic problem for both Europe and the United States.
As soon as the Caremag plant in the Lacq basin reaches a "cruising pace", it will annually process about 2,000 tons of permanent magnets and 5,000 tons of mining concentrates.
The plant will be able to produce 600 tons of dysprosium and terbium oxides (15% of global production), 800 tons of neodymium and praseodymium oxides. techniques-ingenieur.fr reports.
Alex Shishlo, Editor in Chief of the European Bureau, Rough&Polished
