First production facility for sintered rare earth magnets launches in the UK.
Rare earth elements—and especially the permanent magnets made from them—are vital components in technologies such as renewable energy systems and defense applications. At the same time, supply of these critical raw materials remains a strategic vulnerability. Recycling is considered an important measure to reduce the global dependency on China, the dominant supplier. However, the recycling rate for rare earth magnets remains below one percent due to economic and technological barriers.
Canadian mining company Mkango Resources is now reporting progress in building out the recycling value chain: at its facility in Birmingham, UK, commercial production of recycled rare earth alloys has begun. Specifically, neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) alloy powder is being produced from end-of-life magnets and manufacturing scrap. This powder can be used as a feedstock for downstream magnet manufacturing. According to Mkango, the plant is the only UK facility producing sintered rare earth magnets. In this process, powdered material is pressed into shape under high pressure, sintered—meaning densified at high temperatures—and finally magnetized.
The facility is operated by HyProMag, a majority-owned subsidiary of Mkango, and the University of Birmingham, which also developed the underlying recycling technology—partially funded by UK government programs.
Initial domestic sales of around half a tonne per month are targeted, with monthly volumes expected to rise to at least two tonnes by the end of 2025. For 2026, an expansion to 100 to 350 tonnes per year is under evaluation. In the future, HyProMag plans to use the recycled material for its own magnet production. In parallel with the ramp-up in the UK, the technology is being rolled out in Germany and the United States, with further locations under consideration, including Japan, Canada, and South Korea.
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