General Chat / Discussion, page-12199

You do realize that Mkango has one of the largest long loop recycling operations in the UK already, held through its subsidiary, Mkango UK?


The operation is based at Tyseley Energy Park, adjacent to the HyProMag UK operation.


The company stated the following in its 29 November quarterly update:


"Mkango UK recently commissioned a long-loop recycling pilot plant at Tyseley, which processes NdFeB magnet

scrap or swarf to produce rare earth carbonates and oxides via a chemical route.


This complements the short-loop recycling plant currently being commissioned by HyProMag and University of


Birmingham also at Tyseley, which processes NdFeB magnet scrap to produce rare earth alloys and magnets.


Both long-loop and short-loop recycling technologies are underpinned by the patented HPMS technology developed

at University of Birmingham, which liberates magnets from end-of-life scrap streams in a cost effective and energy

efficient way to produce a recycled NdFeB alloy powder, which is manufactured into a magnet (via the short loop

process) or into a rare earth carbonate or oxide (via the long loop chemical process).


Optimisation of long-loop pilot operations is underway, targeting near-term pilot scale production of the first 50kg

batch of rare earth carbonates and oxides, in parallel with completion of scoping studies and evaluation of options to

advance long loop recycling via stand-alone development, joint venture or other commercial arrangements. The long

loop recycling route is used to process NdFeB HPMS powder not suitable for short-loop recycling or for the processing

of magnet swarf (i.e. the powder produced from grinding and finishing magnets). "

......

The reason it's not discussed much, as it really is nothing compared to the HyProMag operation. Although Mkango UK will be commercial in itself (albeit on a smallish scale), a major reason for its development is for the MKA team to understand the (many) advantages of HyProMag over all other (chemical-based) REE recyclers across the world. Understanding how the competition works, and how HyProMag's unique technology crushes it.IMO

We don't need to partner with Ionic (or any other chemical-based REE recycler), as we can do everything in-house: both hydrogen-based recycling that absolutely no one else can do; and chemical-based recycling, that anyone can really do, as there isn't much IP in that space.