Pforzheim, Germany: 28 April 2026. HyProMag GmbH Germany, a partner in the Horizon Europe project REEsilience, formally launched the first rare earth magnet recycling and manufacturing plant for sintered magnets in the European Union during an opening ceremony at its site in Pforzheim, Germany.
Rare earth elements are listed among the EU’s critical raw materials because they are economically vital, yet their supply is linked to environmental, social and geopolitical challenges. Their main use is in permanent magnets based on neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB), which are key components in a wide range of strategic technologies.
The new HyProMag facility at Pforzheim enables the recovery of magnet material from end-of-life scrap, creating recycled input material for new magnets and supporting efforts to strengthen resilience and circularity in Europe’s value chains. Its development was partly funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism Baden-Württemberg.
The plant is underpinned by the patented Hydrogen Processing of Magnet Scrap (HPMS) technology, developed at the University of Birmingham. HPMS uses hydrogen to process magnet scrap into recyclable powder and supports a short-loop recycling route.
Key figures of the Pforzheim plant
- Permitted production capacity: up to 750 tonnes per annum of NdFeB magnets and alloys
- Initial capacity once fully commissioned: approximately 100 tonnes per annum, with a phased scale-up
- Target scale-up: up to circa 350 tonnes per annum, with further expansion under evaluation
The opening ceremony was presided over by Stefan Rouenhoff, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy and included a facility tour and networking.
Further speakers included:
- Opening address: Prof. Dr. Carlo Burkhardt, Co‑Founder, HyProMag GmbH
- Permanent Secretary Dr. Michael Münter, Ministry of the Environment, Climate Protection and the Energy Sector, Baden‑Württemberg
- Permanent Secretary Michael Kleiner, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism, Baden‑Württemberg
- Lord Mayor Peter Boch, City of Pforzheim
- Prof. Dr. Ulrich Jautz, Rector, Pforzheim University
- Mr Jochen Protzer, Managing Director, Nordschwarzwald Economic Development Agency
- Keynote: Dr David Schuller, Deputy Chair of the DGM Expert Committee on Permanent Magnets
- Closing remarks: Mr William Dawes, CEO, Mkango Resources Ltd.
Why This Matters: Resilience and Circularity for Rare Earth Magnets
The EU-funded project REEsilience – including HyProMag as a consortium member – works on building a more resilient supply chain for rare earth magnets and identifies recycling strategies as a cornerstone for reducing reliance on virgin materials. By promoting the recovery and reuse of rare earth magnets from end-of-life products such as wind turbines and electric vehicles, demand for newly extracted rare earths can be reduced while lowering environmental impacts.
Nelson Brito, Managing Director HyProMag Germany GmbH commented: “Since HyProMag Germany was founded in September 2021, we have worked with great dedication towards this moment. The journey has required perseverance and strong collaboration with our partners, making it especially rewarding to celebrate this milestone today. It not only reflects the company’s progress, but also contributes to regional industrial development in Baden-Württemberg and marks an important step for Germany and Europe in building a sustainable rare earth magnet recycling value chain.”
Prof. Dr. Carlo Burkhardt, Coordinator of REEsilience and Co-Founder of HyProMag Germany GmbH commented: “After more than a decade of research and development, we have finally achieved this milestone. It is immensely rewarding to see ideas that were first developed in the laboratory now being realised in an industrial‑scale facility for rare earth magnet recycling. This launch demonstrates that Europe can build its own sustainable, high‑quality supply of recycled rare earth magnets and reduce its dependence on primary raw material imports.”
About REEsilience
REEsilience is funded by the European Union’s research and innovation programme Horizon Europe (GA No. 101058598) and coordinated by the Institute for Precious Metals and Technology (STI) of Pforzheim University, Germany and will last until June 2026. The consortium comprises 18 project partners from ten European countries (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom).
Picture credits: ©2026 STI, Pforzheim University