The publication of the UK Critical Minerals Strategy in Spring 2025, combined with the formalization of Ionic's partnerships with LCM, VAC, and Ford, creates an exceptionally favorable environment for securing government funding for the Belfast commercial plant. The strategy will likely establish policy frameworks that the Ionic Technologies project directly fulfills, making it easier for government officials to justify and approve significant funding.
Key factors supporting this conclusion include:
1. The Frazer-Nash report has already established the policy case for government intervention in critical mineral recycling and midstream processing.
2. The imminent publication of UK Critical Minerals Strategy 2025 provides the policy framework within which a larger funding commitment can be made.
4. The project supports multiple government priorities: sovereign supply chain development, circular economy advancement, automotive industry transition, and regional development in Northern Ireland.
The timing couldn't be better – with the strategy release, partnership finalizations, and funding decisions all converging in Q2 2025, while still allowing IXR to maintain its commercial plant timeline of construction completion by the end of 2026 and operations beginning in early 2027. The study (Ionic Technologies, LCM, FORD) aims to strengthen the UK's rare earth supply chain, particularly for permanent magnets crucial across various industries, and develop the business case for a commercial-scale recycling facility in Belfast.
IXR Price at posting:
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