This could be used to recycle an annual market of 4,000 tonnes of end-of-life permanent magnets, Pensana said. This could include magnets from wind turbine nacelles.
The companies plan to recycle permanent magnets using hydrogen as a reductant, a process that could use up to 88% less energy than new magnet manufacture.
The ‘Hydrogen to Humber (H2H) Saltend’ hydrogen production facility has been submitted to the UK government as part of its carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) project focused on using and capturing carbon dioxide.
The research will take place in Saltend Chemical Park, based in Hull, UK.
“We are establishing a world-class, independent and sustainable, rare earth processing facility at Saltend Chemicals Park,” said Pensana chairman, Paul Atherley. “We very much look forward to working with Equinor using hydrogen from the H2H Saltend project in establishing this innovative process route as a key component in the circular economy for rare earth magnets in the UK.”
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