News

On 2–3 July 2025, the REEPRODUCE consortium had the opportunity to present its progress during a review meeting with the European Commission (European Health and Digital Executive Agency – HaDEA), leaving a strong impression of the project’s technical depth and collaborative spirit.

As part of the visit, the consortium explored the Advanced Hydrometallurgical Pilot for Rare Earth Oxalate production at HYDROMETAL Belgium in Engis. This pilot marks a major milestone, showcasing the consortium’s engineering expertise and adaptability in addressing the complex challenges of rare earth recovery—especially when working with diverse feedstock compositions.

During the next consortium meeting, the partners will visit the final pilot at Elkem ASA’s facilities, where the RE oxalate produced at Hydrometal will be first calcined, and the obtained RE oxides transformed into Rare Earth Alloys by the innovative electrolysis process—a critical step toward sustainable Permanent Magnet production.

A cleaner, smarter future for critical materials is taking shape—one pilot at a time.

Image of the rare earth oxalate cake obtained after treatment of spent permanent magnets in the REEPRODUCE’s advanced hydrometallurgical pilot at Hydrometal Belgium