The West Midlands has become home to the UK's first dedicated plant for recycling rare earth magnets, a landmark development set to create hundreds of local jobs and significantly reduce the nation's reliance on imported critical materials.
A Pioneering Facility for a Green Future
Officially opened by Industry Minister Chris McDonald MP, the new facility at Tyseley Energy Park in Birmingham is operated by the University of Birmingham. It marks the return of sintered rare earth magnet production to the UK for the first time in 25 years. These powerful magnets are vital components in electric vehicles, wind turbines, robotics, and medical equipment, making them crucial for the UK's transition to a net-zero economy.
Revolutionary Hydrogen-Based Recycling Process
The plant utilises a groundbreaking technology called Hydrogen Processing of Magnet Scrap (HPMS), developed by university researchers. This innovative method efficiently extracts rare earth magnets from end-of-life products like hard drives and electric motors without needing full disassembly.
The scaled-up facility can now process over 400kg of rare earth alloy per batch, translating to an annual capacity of 100 tonnes on a single shift. Compared to mining new minerals, this recycling process achieves an impressive 90% reduction in CO2 emissions.
Boosting National Resilience and Creating Jobs
The launch directly supports the UK Government's 'Vision 2035: Critical Minerals Strategy', aiming to secure resilient supply chains. Professor Allan Walton, Head of the Magnetic Materials Group, highlighted the decades of research leading to this point, initiated by the late Emeritus Professor Rex Harris.
Minister Chris McDonald stated the facility is "great news for the West Midlands" and a testament to UK expertise, helping to create hundreds of well-paid local jobs and power future green industries.
Funding of £4.5 million from Innovate UK, alongside other grants, has enabled this development. The technology is exclusively licensed to HyProMag Ltd, which is now scaling up operations internationally.
This strategic move not only revitalises a key part of the UK's industrial capability but also positions the Midlands as a central hub for the nation's critical materials supply chain, driving long-term economic growth and skills development.
