On June 3-4, 2019, the first phase of a four-year EU-funded research and innovation project began with a kick-off event in Pforzheim, Germany. The project, called SUSMAGPRO (full title: Sustainable Recovery, Reprocessing and Reuse of Rare-Earth Magnets in a Circular Economy) was granted funding from Horizon 2020 program of the European Commission and consists of 19 project partners (including B&C SPEAKERS) and one associated partner from nine European countries.

The main objective of this project is to develop a recycling supply chain for Rare-Earth magnets in Europe and to demonstrate these new materials on a pilot scale within a range of application sectors. Partners gathered for the first time in Pforzheim in June to discuss their challenges, expectations, and overall management for the project.

SUSMAGPRO’s overall objective is to develop and demonstrate four novel pilot-plant solutions for the clean and sustainable recycling of permanent magnets at Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) 6–7 (technology or system prototype demonstrated in relevant / operational environment). In doing so, secondary REE material will be remanufactured into new magnetic products, which will eventually be displayed in a travelling roadshow in the second half of the project. Such novel activities will take place over the whole value chain, and solutions created will enable Europe to gain a better foothold in the worldwide renewable energy systems (RES) device markets, enabling the future of zero-carbon mobility and energy.

Europe imports far more NdFeB magnets than it manufactures (>1,000 tonnes manufactured per annum), which puts its industry in a vulnerable position.

The aim of SUSMAGPRO is to identify, separate, reprocess and reuse recycled magnets at a pilot scale with a multidisciplinary team located across Europe, activating a circular economy business model. Instead of dumping this critical resource in landfill sites or exporting our RE-containing waste to other parts of the globe, SUSMAGPRO will use the latest technology to extract the elements from magnets scrap, and will use short-loop circular economy routes to re-integrate the metals into new products for the European market. The project will target main applications including automotive rotors, water pumps, loudspeakers and wind turbines; B&C SPEAKERS will play a key role in the design and assessment of loudspeaker drivers from recycled magnets

Project duration: 06/2019 - 05/2023
Coordination: Prof. Carlo Burkhardt of the Institute for Precious Metals and Technology, Pforzheim University (Germany)
Countries: Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Funding: European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 821114