Startup recycler Cyclic Materials is stepping out to commercial operation with the opening of its first-phase plant in Canada and two new supply chain deals – one with Solvay in Brussels and another with Vacuumschmelze of Germany who has a new magnet plant now under construction in the USA.
In early June, the Toronto-based company opened its Hub100 plant in Kingston, Ontario. The plant is the first scaled version of Cyclic’s hydrometallurgical technology, REEPure, and is positioned to demonstrate the feasibility of the technology at a commercial scale. The plant has a design capacity to recycle 100 tons of magnetic material per year, producing recycled mixed rare earth oxides (rMREO) that can be reused in the rare earth magnet supply chain, as well as nickel and cobalt hydroxides.
“The opening of Hub100 marks a significant milestone in our company’s journey. This successful scaling up of our technology emphasizes our commitment to growth and signifies our pursuit of innovation,” said Ahmad Ghahreman, co-founder and CEO of Cyclic Materials. “The operation of this plant will allow us to continue learning and filling design criteria for full commercial scale of our REEPure technology while producing revenue-generating products. This is a crucial step toward building a domestic supply chain of rMREO in North America and growing our network of facilities to collect and recycle products containing rare earth magnets.”
Established in 2021 in Kingston, Cyclic Materials is on a mission to create a circular supply chain for rare earth elements and other materials critical to electrification and the energy transition. It offers a fully circular pathway for EOL and scrap magnetic material for manufacturers and aggregators of end-of-life products containing permanent magnets with rare earth elements. In 2022, it became one of the first companies in the world to produce MREO from recycled products, as well as one of the first to produce MREO outside of China.
Also in June, it finalized an agreement with chemicals giant Solvay of Brussels for the supply of recycled mixed rare earth oxide (rMREO) with shipments to begin late this year. The deal basically extends the partnership they formed in a memorandum of understanding in early 2023. Since then, the companies have validated Cyclic’s rMREO product with Solvay’s rare earth separation process.
The move aligns with Solvay’s measures since the end of 2022 to establish a rare earths hub for the permanent magnets value chain in La Rochelle, France, aiming to enhance European self-sufficiency. Currently, a rare earth materials processor and supplier for catalysis and electronics, Solvay is ramping up the scope of this activity at Rochelle to serve customers in electric vehicle, wind power and electronics markets as of 2025.
“This agreement aligns with our sustainable sourcing strategy to provide magnet grades of NdPr and Nd oxides to our customers by early 2025. We support Cyclic Materials’ vision of developing a circular supply chain for rare earths. Through this partnership we are creating a circular loop to reintegrate recycled MREO back into the magnet supply chain,” said An Nuyttens, president of Solvay Special Chem.
In March, Cyclic and Vacuumschmelze formed a partnership for recycling by-products containing critical materials from the company’s magnet manufacturing plant which is planned to be built in the US. The factory is being built by e-VAC, an American subsidiary of Vacuumschmelze, and receiving support from the US Department of Defense.
VAC will provide local sources of raw materials and decades of experience in rare earth magnet technology, said Ghareman. The joint effort will produce recycled raw materials that have as much as 75% lower carbon footprint compared to mined raw materials, thereby allowing VAC’s customers to source environmentally friendly rare earth magnets with lower Scope 3 emissions. Industries from wind energy to automobile manufacturers can then use these magnetic components to meet their net-zero production goals.
“We are proud to work with Cyclic Materials to advance circularity of the critical materials required for the energy transition,” said Erik Eschen, CEO of Vacuumschmelze. “Our recycling partnership will ensure that critical materials remain local and re-enter our supply chains, providing key industries with the high-performance permanent magnets required to meet consumer demand and achieve global sustainability goals.”
For more info, see www.cyclicmaterials.earth, www.solvay.com and www.vacuumschmelze.com.
