A project to extract rare minerals and elements from the plumes of a volcano, and another to extract them from mining waste are among nine innovation partnerships that have been awarded £3.5 million of funding from Innovate UK.
The projects are:
- Ascension Earth Resources: A partnership between Marriott Well Engineering and Management Services and the University of Oxford to assess the potential for Rare Earth Elements from volcanic tuffs on Ascension Island.
- Mormair: A project led by the Materials Processing Institute to prove the viability of recovering Rare Earth Elements from coal-fly-ash.
- Nanomox: A pilot led by Mkango Rare Earths UK to explore a potentially sustainable approach to iron extraction from end-of-life magenets.
- Geolithical: A project led by the University of Exeter investigating the potential for a circular supply chain for high strength strontium ferrit (ceramic) magnets.
- Ionic Technologies: A collaboration between the Materials Processing Institute and Swansea University to enhance the recycling of end-of-life magnets used in offshore wind turbines.
- Materials Nexus: A project led by the University of Sheffield that aims to use AI and quantum simulations to develop improved magnet materials that rely less on Rare Earth Elements.
- HyProMag: A partnership between Less Common Metals, Adey Innovation and the University of Birmingham, commercialising a process developed by the university to liberate magnets from end-of-life components.
- Less Common Metals: A separate project from Ionic Technologies to develop high-quality agenets using 100% recycled and fully traceable Rare Earth Elements.
- Altilium Metals: A project form the University of Exeter extracting Rare Earth Elements from waste materials from mining operations.
Rare Earth Elements (REEs) have a number of critical applications in modern technology, and will be increasingly important in the journey towards Net Zero.
This funding is part of the CLIMATES (Circular critical materials supply chains) programme, a £15 million investment delivered by Innovate UK, which aims to strengthen the UK’s supply chain resilience within critical minerals.
Mike Biddle, Exec Director for Net Zero at Innovate UK, says, “An electric vehicle and many green technologies not only requires Cobalt, Lithium and Graphite for the battery but also Rare Earth Elements for the high-performance permanent magnets used in the electric motors. The innovative partnerships we are funding will explore novel ways to support our supply of these Rare Earth Elements in the UK and have enormous potential. Backing from Innovate UK will accelerate their work towards commercialisation.”
Minister for Industry, Sarah Jones MP said: “Rare earth elements play a crucial role in advanced manufacturing, including electric vehicles and wind turbines, so its excellent news that the CLIMATES fund is continuing to leverage our world-leading expertise in R&D and making supply chains more resilient.
“Long-term, sustainable economic growth is this government’s central mission and we’re taking immediate steps to increase investment right across the UK, helping to support local skilled jobs and raising living standards in all our communities.”
For more information about Innovate UK’s work to support the UK’s supply of critical minerals, click here.
