Jaguar Land Rover Backs Cyclic Materials in Rare Earth Recycling Expansion

Cyclic Materials

Cyclic Materials Secures Investment to Boost Rare Earth Processing in US and Europe

Canadian rare earth recycling start-up Cyclic Materials has secured a $2 million investment from InMotion Ventures, the investment arm of Jaguar Land Rover. This funding will support the launch of the company's first commercial rare earth element (REE) processing facilities in the United States and Europe. The investment extends Cyclic Materials’ Series B round to $55 million.

Expanding Rare Earth Recycling to Secure Supply Chains

Cyclic Materials is advancing its MagCycle and REEPure technologies to extract REEs from end-of-life electric vehicle (EV) motors, wind turbines, MRI machines, and data center waste. With less than 1% of REEs currently being recycled, increasing domestic processing capacity is crucial to reducing reliance on China, which dominates global REE processing. China’s export restrictions on rare earth technologies have heightened concerns about supply chain resilience.

Growing Investment in Critical Minerals Recycling

In September 2023, Cyclic Materials raised $53 million from key investors, including Microsoft, Hitachi, BMW i Ventures, ArcTern, and Fifth Wall. With InMotion Ventures' latest contribution, the company has raised over $85 million in equity financing. This funding will accelerate Cyclic Materials' North American and European expansion, refine its recycling processes, and enhance production capabilities.

Jaguar Land Rover’s investment aligns with its 2030 electrification strategy, which involves securing critical raw materials for battery repair, re-use, and recycling. The company is strengthening its upstream supply chain to support the transition to luxury electric vehicles.

Cyclic Materials has also partnered with Solvay, Vattenfall, Synetiq, and Vacuumschmelze to advance rare earth magnet recycling. The company operates Hub 100, a commercial demonstration facility in Kingston, Ontario, with an 8,000 t/yr MagCycle capacity and a 100 t/yr REEPure hydrometallurgical facility producing recycled mixed rare earth oxides (rMREO), nickel, and cobalt hydroxides.

Cyclic Materials Invests $20mn in REE Recycling Facility

Cyclic Materials

Canada-based recycler expands rare earth recovery efforts with new Arizona plant to boost North American REE supply chain

Building a U.S. Rare Earth Recycling Hub

Cyclic Materials has committed $20mn to a new REE recycling facility in Mesa, Arizona. The investment marks a pivotal step in scaling rare earth element (REE) recovery from end-of-life components. The new plant will target waste streams from vehicles, electronics, and industrial devices. It will help process 155,000 metric tonnes annually across the U.S. Southwest.

Rare Earth Supply Chain Independence

The Mesa facility reinforces the company’s REE recycling strategy. Cyclic Materials aims to reduce reliance on foreign rare earth supplies, especially from China. CEO Ahmad Ghahreman emphasized the importance of circular supply chains for stable and sustainable access to critical materials. The company recovers REEs from EV motors, MRI equipment, wind turbines, and data centers.

Strategic Partnerships and Market Outlook

Cyclic Materials collaborates with major players like Solvay, Vattenfall, Synetiq, and Vacuumschmelze. These partnerships enhance its ability to extract permanent magnets from complex components. As a result, the project supports the U.S. ambition to localize clean tech materials and reduce REE import dependency.

The Metalnomist Commentary

Cyclic Materials’ $20mn investment signifies a long-term bet on REE recycling amid rising global demand for magnets used in EVs and wind energy. With strategic partnerships and domestic processing, this move strengthens North America's critical minerals security while aligning with decarbonization and supply chain goals.

Cyclic Lime Rare Earth Recycling Partnership Targets Electric Scooter Motor Magnets

Cyclic Materials

Cyclic Lime rare earth recycling partnership launched as Canadian recycler Cyclic Materials contracted with electric scooter company Lime to recover rare earth elements from decommissioned motors. The Cyclic Lime rare earth recycling collaboration will process magnets from Lime's retired electric bike and scooter fleet across US and Canadian operations, establishing a circular economy model for critical materials recovery from urban mobility infrastructure.

Hydrometallurgical Processing Creates Closed-Loop Supply Chain

Cyclic Lime rare earth recycling operations will utilize Cyclic's dual-facility processing network spanning Mesa, Arizona, and Kingston, Ontario. The Kingston facility employs hydrometallurgical processes to produce mixed rare earth oxide from recovered magnet materials. Mesa represents Cyclic's first US processing location, expanding the company's geographic reach for North American rare earth recycling operations.

Meanwhile, the partnership targets Lime's substantial fleet of over 270,000 electric bikes and scooters operating across 280 cities globally. This scale provides consistent feedstock volumes for rare earth recovery operations while addressing end-of-life disposal challenges for electric mobility devices. The collaboration demonstrates practical applications of circular economy principles in urban transportation sectors.

Scaling Operations Address Growing E-Mobility Waste Streams

However, Cyclic and Lime plan operational commencement within weeks, with activity scaling throughout 2025 as fleet retirement cycles mature. The timing aligns with growing volumes of first-generation electric scooters and bikes reaching end-of-life status after several years of intensive urban deployment. This natural replacement cycle creates predictable feedstock availability for recycling operations.

Therefore, the partnership addresses critical material recovery from permanent magnets containing neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium essential for motor performance. These rare earth elements maintain high value and strategic importance for electric vehicle and renewable energy applications. Recovery operations reduce dependence on primary mining while supporting domestic rare earth supply chain resilience.

Urban Mobility Recycling Model Demonstrates Industry Leadership

Furthermore, Lime's commitment to rare earth recycling complements existing battery recycling partnerships with companies like Redwood Materials. This comprehensive approach to component recycling establishes industry best practices for sustainable electric mobility operations. The integrated recycling strategy addresses both battery and motor component end-of-life management across Lime's global fleet.

As a result, the Cyclic partnership positions Lime as a leader in sustainable urban mobility practices while creating valuable secondary rare earth supply sources. The collaboration demonstrates how service-based mobility companies can contribute to critical materials circularity while managing operational costs through material recovery value. This model could influence broader electric vehicle and mobility industry recycling practices.

The Metalnomist Commentary

The Cyclic-Lime partnership represents an innovative approach to rare earth recycling that leverages the predictable replacement cycles of commercial electric mobility fleets to create sustainable feedstock streams for critical materials recovery. This collaboration demonstrates how urban mobility companies can transition from being solely consumers of critical materials to active participants in circular supply chains, potentially serving as a model for broader transportation electrification sectors.

Cyclic Materials and Glencore Forge Partnership for Recycled Copper

Cyclic Materials

In a move that underscores the growing emphasis on sustainability in the metals industry, Cyclic Materials and Glencore have entered into a strategic partnership to enhance the circular supply chain for copper in North America. Announced today, this collaboration sees Cyclic Materials, a prominent metals recycler, supplying recycled copper sourced from end-of-life electric motors to Glencore, a major player in global mining and trading.

Advancing Circular Economy in Critical Minerals

The copper will be initially processed at Cyclic's specialized "spoke" plant located in Ontario, Canada. This facility is equipped to handle the breakdown of electric motors, extracting valuable copper which is then sent to Glencore's Horne smelting facility in Quebec. Here, the scrap copper is transformed into copper anodes before undergoing further refinement into copper cathodes at Glencore’s Canadian Copper Refinery near Montreal.

Strategic Expansion and Future Plans

This partnership marks a significant step for Cyclic Materials as it seeks to expand its operations to commercial scale across North America, as well as in the US and Europe. The deal also complements Cyclic’s recent initiatives, including the production of recycled mixed rare earth oxide (rMREO) at its new Hub100 facility in Ontario. Earlier this year, Cyclic also entered into a critical supply agreement with Belgium's chemical group Solvay and secured additional feedstock agreements with Synetiq in England and E-VAC Magnetics in the US, both of which will supply rare earth elements crucial for Cyclic's operations.

While the specifics of the production volumes and financial terms remain undisclosed, the multiyear offtake agreement between Cyclic and Glencore is set to significantly impact the supply chain dynamics for recycled copper and potentially influence broader market trends.

Cyclic Materials Expands Rare Earths Supply Chain with Synetiq Partnership

Cyclic Materials, a Canadian metals recycling company, has signed a groundbreaking agreement with Synetiq, a vehicle recycling firm based in Yorkshire, UK, to source electric motors containing rare earth elements. This marks Cyclic's first feedstock contract with a company outside North America, signifying a major step in its global expansion.

Synetiq, which specializes in vehicle salvage, dismantling, and recycling in the UK, will supply Cyclic with drive motors from hybrid and electric vehicles, as well as auxiliary motors from all types of vehicles. These motors will be processed at Cyclic's "spoke" facility using their proprietary Mag-Cycle technology. The processed materials will then be sent to Cyclic’s Hub100 plant in Ontario, Canada, for further refinement using Reepure technology.

Cyclic's advanced technologies are designed to extract magnets from end-of-life products like electric motors and convert them into valuable raw materials, including mixed rare earth oxides and cobalt-nickel hydroxides. This process is part of Cyclic's broader strategy to create a circular supply chain for rare earth elements, initially focused on North America but now extending into Europe.

This partnership with Synetiq follows a series of strategic collaborations by Cyclic. Recently, Cyclic has been working with Sims Lifecycle Services (SLS), a division of the ASX-listed metal recycler Sims, to trial their method of extracting rare earth materials from disposed hard drives. This innovative method, which has received support from Microsoft's Climate Innovation Fund, demonstrates Cyclic's commitment to sustainable recycling practices. Additionally, earlier this year, Cyclic partnered with Vacuumschmelze to recycle rare earth magnets as part of the latter’s expansion in the US and secured a deal to supply recycled mixed rare earth oxide to Solvay’s plant in La Rochelle, France, starting in late 2024.

Cyclic Materials Invests $25mn in Rare Earths Recycling

Cyclic Materials

New Facility to Advance Circular Supply Chains

Cyclic Materials announced a $25mn investment to establish a commercial rare earth recycling facility and R&D hub in Kingston, Ontario. The plant will process 500 metric tonnes per year of magnet-containing feedstock into recycled mixed rare earth oxides, including neodymium, praseodymium, terbium, and dysprosium. Feedstock will be supplied from Cyclic’s Arizona-based spoke facility, which specializes in separating permanent magnets from end-of-life products.

Strengthening North America’s Rare Earth Security

Operations at the Kingston facility are expected to begin in early 2026, supplying partners with recycled rare earths for applications in electric vehicles, wind turbines, and consumer electronics. This initiative positions Canada as an emerging player in rare earth sustainability, reducing reliance on primary mining and diversifying supply away from China. The project also highlights growing investment in recycling technologies as governments and industries seek to build resilient and circular critical mineral supply chains.

The Metalnomist Commentary

Cyclic’s investment reflects a strategic shift toward localized and circular rare earth supply chains. By scaling recycling capacity in North America, the company is addressing both sustainability goals and geopolitical supply risks. The Kingston hub may serve as a model for future rare earth recovery initiatives worldwide.

Cyclic and Solvay Sign Supply Agreement for Recycled Rare Earth Oxide

Canadian recycler Cyclic Materials has reached an agreement to supply Belgium's Solvay with recycled mixed rare earth oxide (rMREO) starting from late 2024. This development follows an initial agreement made in February 2023, after confirming the compatibility of Cyclic's product with Solvay's separation process.

The recycled oxide will be transported from Cyclic's new Hub100 facility in Ontario, Canada, to Solvay's plant located in La Rochelle, France.

"This agreement is in line with our sustainable sourcing strategy to deliver magnet grades of NdPr (neodymium-praseodymium) and Nd (neodymium) oxides to our customers by early 2025," stated An Nuyttens, president of Solvay Special Chem. She further noted, "Through this partnership, we are establishing a circular loop to reintegrate recycled MREO back into the magnet supply chain."

Since late 2022, Solvay has been working towards creating a rare earths hub for the permanent magnet value chain in La Rochelle. This initiative aims to enhance Europe's self-sufficiency and provide services to customers in the electric vehicle, wind power, and electronics sectors by 2025.

Founded in 2021, Cyclic Materials is focused on developing technologies to convert end-of-life products into raw materials, with plans to establish facilities in North America, Europe, and Asia to meet regional MREO demand. The company has attracted investments from notable entities, including BMW i Ventures, the capital venture arm of the German automaker. Earlier this year, Cyclic also signed an agreement with German magnet materials manufacturer Vacuumschmelze to recycle rare earth magnets in North America.

Solvay Starts Rare Earth Oxide Refining for Magnet Production

Solvay

La Rochelle Plant Begins Neodymium and Praseodymium Oxide Output

Belgian chemical company Solvay has officially begun refining neodymium and praseodymium oxides for permanent magnets at its La Rochelle facility in France. This expansion marks the company's first step into magnet-grade rare earth oxide production, positioning it as a key player in the European supply chain for critical magnet materials.

The La Rochelle plant, operational since 1948 and owned by Solvay since 2011, previously focused on refining cerium and supplying sectors such as automotive catalysts and healthcare. The new line now enables production of neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) oxides, with potential for separating dysprosium and terbium in the future, according to a Solvay spokesperson.

Europe Strengthens Rare Earth Independence

This development comes amid growing urgency in the West to reduce dependency on Chinese rare earths. China’s recent export restrictions on heavy rare earths and magnet materials—announced in response to new U.S. tariffs—have underscored the fragility of global supply chains. These restrictions follow similar export limits on gallium and tungsten, which led to global supply disruptions and price surges.

Solvay’s La Rochelle initiative aligns with Europe’s strategic goal of securing a domestic rare earth supply chain. The company aims to meet 30% of Europe’s demand for magnet-focused rare earth oxides by 2030. Solvay also emphasized the significance of this production line as a major milestone in its contribution to Europe's energy and industrial independence.

Securing Supply Through Recycling and Strategic Partnerships

To ensure consistent feedstock, Solvay has partnered with Canadian firm Cyclic Materials to source recycled mixed rare earth oxide. Additionally, Solvay has a strategic alliance with rare earths services company Carester, which is developing the Caremag refining plant in Lacq, France. These partnerships help diversify sourcing and reduce reliance on virgin materials or imports.

The Metalnomist Commentary

Solvay’s magnet-focused rare earth production is a timely and strategic response to rising geopolitical tensions and critical mineral nationalism. As Western economies scramble to localize high-tech material supply chains, Solvay’s effort not only bridges a crucial gap in refining capacity but also sets a precedent for integrating recycling and partnerships into Europe’s rare earth future.