Letter of intent signed with Viridis. Neodymium, terbium and other rare earth elements from the Colossus project to be processed in La Rochelle, France.
Belgian chemicals group Solvay is playing a key role in building Europe’s rare earth value chains. In La Rochelle, in southwestern France, the company operates one of the few facilities outside China capable of separating these critical raw materials. In the future, part of its feedstock is expected to come from Brazil, following the signing of a letter of intent with Viridis Mining and Minerals.
The Australian mining company is developing the Colossus Project deposit in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. According to geological studies, the site is believed to be a rich source of highly sought-after heavy rare earth elements, which are currently refined almost exclusively in China. Viridis announced only a few days ago that it intends to prioritize supplying Western customers with materials from the project.
The partnership with Viridis represents an important step toward strengthening and diversifying the supply chain, said An Nuyttens, President of Solvay’s Special Chem business unit. It also supports the company’s ambition to cover around 30 percent of Europe’s demand for rare earths used in permanent magnets by 2030.
Solvay’s refinery in La Rochelle has been in operation since 1948, with the range of processed rare earths steadily expanding over time. While earlier decades focused mainly on cerium and lanthanum—used, for example, in catalytic converters and polishing applications—the company has increasingly shifted toward magnet materials such as neodymium and praseodymium. Starting in September this year, the facility is also expected to be capable of separating the heavy rare earth elements terbium and dysprosium, according to Nuyttens.
Photo: iStock/libre de droit
