The second review meeting of the REE4EU project took place last June in Kristiansand (Norway) and it was hosted by ELKEM, one of the project partners. During the meeting, the project officer and the whole consortium had also the opportunity to visit the Elkem’s premises at Fiskå, where the REE4EU pilot is installed.

From an engineering point of view, IDENER explained how the involved partners have been iterating in different prototype designs and the production plan for implementing a complete and functional prototype for the two units of the pilot (ILE + HTE). The project officer could examine these pilot units, which are now in operation at ELKEM. Moreover an extensive presentation of the results obtained during the trials done so far was given. Up to date, the ILE unit has treated 1.7 tonnes of permanent magnets swarf, giving a total amount of ca. 250 kg of RE oxides. The HTE unit for direct conversion of the RE-oxides into RE alloys is expected to be up-running in August.

The project is currently in its third year of activity and it aims at demonstrating closed-loop recycling of permanent magnets by building up pilots that can recycle different RE-containing wastes. The project officer is very enthusiastic about the project achievements which represents a first-time demonstration of closed-loop recycling for permanent magnets at almost industrial scale, and about the safety and security measures in the work with the prototype. The project is funded in the framework of the Horizon 2020 Programme.