Ionic Rare Earths Limited Delivers First Recycled Magnet REO Feed to Brazilian Manufacturer, Pioneering a Diversified, Sustainable Supply Chain Amid Chinese Export Controls and Multi-Million Dollar Energy Investments

Tuesday, May 27, 2025
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9:12 am
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Ionic Rare Earths Limited has delivered its first recycled magnet rare earth oxides to a Brazilian manufacturer, pioneering a local supply chain for sustainable magnet production. This milestone boosts supply diversification and energy transition amid tightening global export controls, marking a key step in the company’s international growth.

Ionic Rare Earths Limited has reached a significant milestone in its international expansion with the delivery of its first batch of recycled magnet rare earth oxides to a Brazilian magnet manufacturer. The high-purity recycled feedstock, which includes neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium oxides, was produced from end-of-life magnets sourced within Brazil and recycled at the company’s facility in Belfast, United Kingdom using its patented long-loop hydrometallurgical technology. This development marks an important first step in establishing a domestic rare earth supply chain in Brazil, countering China’s recent export controls and responding to growing global demand for diversified, sustainable rare earth sources. The recycled materials have been dispatched to the CIT SENAI ITR facility in Lagoa Santa, Minas Gerais, where they will be used in lab-scale experiments to assess their suitability for alloy production and subsequent magnet manufacturing. Plans are underway to ramp up magnet production to 100 tonnes per annum by the end of 2026, with the recycled waste streams also being processed further to create a fully insulated domestic supply chain. The project, part of the broader MagBras initiative supported by Brazilian government agencies and funding schemes such as the MOVER program, underscores a strategic effort to foster low-carbon industrial innovation and critical mineral sovereignty across South America. The venture between Ionic Rare Earths Limited and its partner has secured exclusive rights to commercialise an innovative separation technology, positioning the joint venture to become the first major producer of refined magnet rare earth oxides in Latin America. This collaboration not only highlights the company’s first-mover advantage in recycling technology but also reinforces its ambitions to deploy the technique across different regions including the UK, Europe, Asia, and North America. The proprietary processes developed by the company promise a near complete extraction of rare earth oxides from lower quality recycled feedstock, achieving purity levels exceeding 99.9% in some cases, which is critical for advanced manufacturing and energy applications. Investors may view the move as bullish, driven by robust government backing, strategic technological differentiation, and the growing global appetite for clean energy and sustainable manufacturing solutions. The establishment of a local supply chain in Brazil, a significant emerging market in wind energy and advanced manufacturing, further adds to the positive outlook. On the bearish side, concerns persist over the company's ability to scale pilot operations and replicate its success across diverse markets amid political, regulatory, and competitive pressures. The technical and commercial challenges of transitioning from demonstration scale to full commercial production remain key areas to watch in the coming months.

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