Mining company MP Materials has commenced commercial production of neodymium-praseodymium metal at its Independence plant in Texas, along with trial production of neodymium-iron-boron ( NdFeB ) magnets with favorable results.
The production of rare earth magnets
The Fort Worth plant will use raw materials from the Mountain Pass rare earth mine in California to build the first fully integrated production facility in the United States for rare metals, alloys and magnets.
[post_relacionado]The company expects to produce approximately 1,000 tons of finished NdFeB magnets per year, with a gradual ramp-up of production beginning later this year. The first deliveries of automotive-grade sintered magnets are scheduled for later this year, with a quantity going to General Motors.
“This milestone marks a major step forward in restoring a fully integrated rare earth magnet supply chain in the United States. With record upstream and midstream production at Mountain Pass and metal and magnet production underway at Independence, we have reached a significant inflection point for MP and U.S. competitiveness in a vital sector.”
James Litinsky, Founder, President and CEO of MP Materials.
Record production at Mountain Pass
Last year, the Mountain Pass open pit mine produced 45,000 tonnes of rare earth oxides ( REO ) contained in concentrate, an all-time record for primary production in the U.S. The company also recorded record intermediate production with approximately 1,300 tonnes of NdPr oxide.
NdFeB magnets are essential in electric vehicles , robotics , electronics , aerospace , and drones , but for decades the United States has relied almost entirely on imports. By contrast, China produced an estimated 300,000 tons of NdFeB magnets in 2024, up from 280,000 tons in 2023, according to Ellie Saklatvala, senior nonferrous metals editor at Argus.
Powerful and efficient magnets are critical in the transition to green energy and the development of low-carbon technologies. Demand for permanent rare earth materials will continue to rise, commodity consultants Wood Mackenzie forecast. “ With global economic conditions improving in 2025, the rare earth market is expected to continue to improve ,” Wood Mackenzie noted in a Jan. 10 report.
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Source and photos: MP Materials