Northern Ireland magnet rare earth recycling company Ionic Technologies has this month hit a major production milestone at its demonstration plant in Belfast.
Ionic Technologies has developed a process allowing it to produce high purity rare earth materials, suitable for use in high performance permanent magnets.
The move makes it a significant UK-producer of 100% recycled rare earth oxides and helps bolster the region’s security of supply of a strategic raw material needed to power the UK’s net zero transition and green transport revolution, according to the company.
The company has built the capability to produce rare earth elements which can create secure and sovereign supply chains in the UK.
This is significant because the mining and recycling of these elements are industries currently dominated by China.
The company is a spinout from leading centre of research, Queen’s University Belfast, and was acquired in 2022 by Australian multinational Ionic Rare Earths Limited, a mineral exploration company.
Just nine months after receiving £1.72m in UK government support, the company now has ambitions to scale up production and build a processing plant which will put Belfast on the map as an emerging UK clean energy hub.
General manager of Ionic Technologies Thomas Kelly said: “We have produced over 5kg of rare earth oxides at specification, including neodymium oxide (Nd2O3) and dysprosium oxide (Dy2O3).
“This key production milestone confirms our capability as one of the UK’s foremost innovators in magnet recycling and a global leader in the advancement of this technology.
“Our patented process can provide a reliable UK supply chain source for rare earth elements, utilising existing end-of-life magnets and then create an opportunity for the UK to deliver these newly dubbed strategic materials to a global market.
“Ionic Technologies is proud to be at the centre of Northern Ireland’s growing regional green industry, creating well-paid and sustainable employment for local talent.
“As we expand our operations, our objective is to deliver a commercial scale facility, potentially creating up to a further 100 highly skilled jobs in Belfast, and providing the UK with some certainty over future supply of rare earths, which are essential to deliver net zero ambitions.”