Europe’s first industrial-scale plant for the recovery of rare earths from permanent magnets sourced from WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment) is to be built in the province of Frosinone in Italy.
The project is being led by the Italian company Itelyum in partnership with EIT Raw Materials consortium operating in the raw materials sector, Erion, a non-profit system active in the management of various types of waste; Glob Eco, a company specialising in the collection and treatment of WEEE; and the University of L’Aquila.
The plant in Frosinone is one of 47 strategic projects selected by the European Commission under the Critical Raw Materials Act, the EU regulation aimed at ensuring that member states have secure and sustainable supply chains for critical raw materials.
Alex Shishlo, Editor in Chief of the European Bureau, Rough&Polished
