Birmingham is set to become the first centre for rare earth magnet recycling in the UK, as a recycling plant is established at Tyseley Energy Park.

Rare earth magnets are vital components in clean energy technologies such as electric vehicles and wind turbine generators.

However, the recycling rates for these magnets are currently very low, at less than 5%.

HyProMag, a company formed by researchers from the University of Birmingham, will be acquired by Maginito Ltd in a deal aimed at scaling up and expanding the technology for recycling rare earth magnets, which play a crucial role in clean energy technologies.

HyProMag’s core technology, known as Hydrogen Processing of Magnet Scrap (HPMS), was developed at the University of Birmingham’s Magnetic Materials Group.

It allows for the extraction of rare earth magnets from scrap and redundant equipment, offering an environmentally friendly alternative to primary production.

The acquisition by Maginito aims to catalyse the further development and international expansion of HPMS technology.

HPMS technology reduces permanent magnets containing neodymium, iron, and boron to a demagnetised powder.

A pilot plant for HPMS recycling was opened at the University of Birmingham last year, and plans are underway to build a large-scale recycling facility at Tyseley Energy Park and other locations.

The plant is expected to have a minimum production capacity of 100 tonnes per year and will provide a sustainable solution for the supply of NdFeB magnets and alloys to various markets.