Rare earth elements (REEs) are key to the clean energy transition, underpinning technologies from electric vehicles and wind turbines to electronics. Yet the UK remains heavily reliant on imported materials, leaving supply chains exposed to environmental, economic and geopolitical risks.

Ionic Technologies is addressing this challenge by pioneering a new approach to REE recycling. Its pioneering approach is a chemical, rather than just mechanical, process that can take any grade of end-of-life magnets and recover and efficiently separate the rare earth oxides. The advantage of this innovative approach is that the recovered rare earth oxide is of equal or higher purity than the primary equivalent. This means recycled material can be used to manufacture any grade of new magnet; creating a resilient, circular supply chain for critical rare earth materials.

Perfect timing

The Innovate UK CLIMATES Programme came at a pivotal moment for Ionic Technologies, as global rare earth supply chains became increasingly unstable and industry demand for credible alternatives intensified. Ionic Technologies secured four CLIMATES projects as well as being a challenge holder in an Innovate UK Innovation Exchange (iX) programme.

The timing was perfect for us. The CLIMATES funding has helped us accelerate from testing to fully formed commercial plans. It gave us credibility and the data we needed to go to investors with confidence.

Thomas Kelly, Director of Operations, Ionic Technologies

.

The company led-or participated in four major CLIMATES projects across both funding rounds. Two demonstrators – advanced R&D with Ford and Less Common Metals (LCM) and a second project with LCM exploring a novel feedstock; a feasibility study with the British Geological Survey; and a proof-of-concept project with the University of Swansea and the Materials Processing Institute, which was a collaboration developed directly from their iX challenge.

Unlocking commercial scale

The initial project with the British Geological Survey was critical. It enabled Ionic Technologies to develop a detailed, bankable plan for its first-of-a-kind commercial plant in Belfast to scale their innovative process.

The feasibility study unlocked credibility in our capital estimates for a commercial plant. It gave us confidence, plus or minus 10%, in the investment needed. Without Innovate UK, that study would have been much harder to commission, or it may never have happened,

Thomas Kelly, Director of Operations, Ionic Technologies.

The study underpins Ionic Technologies’ £85 million commercial plant. A funding application through the Automotive Transformation Fund is well progressed, and Ionic has received an Offer in Principle for a £12 million capital grant from the UK Government. The ground-breaking magnet recycling facility will produce 400 metric tonnes of high purity (99.5%+) separated magnet Rare Earth Oxides (REOs) a year, using Ionic’s patented long-loop recycling technology. The plant is planned to be operational by 2027 – giving the UK its first commercial-scale capability to produce magnet-grade rare earth oxides.

The power of a circular supply chain

A standout demonstrator project is Ionic Technologies work with Ford and Less Common Metals to produce the world’s first electric vehicle motor using 100% recycled rare earths. As Thomas Kelly explains: “The project with Ford and Less Common Materials is really significant in terms of demonstrating what a domestic, circular supply chain could deliver. Producing magnets that are appropriate for use in an E-motor from 100% recycled Rare Earths represents a huge breakthrough globally.”

Innovation Exchange (iX): a model example

Ionic Technologies benefited from being a challenge holder in the CLIMATES iX programme. The company identified the process of demagnetisation as a key barrier to scaling up rare-earth magnet recycling, initiating Innovate UK to issue a challenge to the market. This process ultimately led to MAGNOSTIC, a collaboration with the Materials Processing Institute and Swansea University.

What’s next?

Ionic Technologies is now advancing the commercialisation of its Belfast plant while actively exploring new growth opportunities. In parallel, the company is developing complementary capabilities to recover additional materials that are more challenging to separate and extract from waste magnets. Notably, in its ‘UK critical minerals midstream and recycling capability report’, the UK Department for Business and Trade (DBT) has identified Ionic Technologies as the UK’s only current producer of oxides for magnet manufacture.

A programme that made a real difference

The CLIMATES team has been phenomenal. It went far beyond funding. They worked hard to understand our needs and the technology. Their support directly moved us toward commercialisation.

Thomas Kelly, Director of Operations, Ionic Technologies

Find out how the CLIMATES programme can support you in your innovation journey.