The Belgian chemical company Solvay S.A., one of the largest in the world, has opened a new line for processing rare earths at its plant in the French city of La Rochelle.
Solvay recycles used permanent magnets to extract rare earths, neodymium and praseodymium, which it then resells to permanent magnet manufacturers.
Today, the La Rochelle plant is the leading manufacturer outside China and the only one in Europe for the production of both light and heavy rare earths, Solvay said.
Alex Shishlo, Editor in Chief of the European Bureau, Rough&Polished
