Cyclic Materials has opened its Hub100 plant in Kingston, Ontario. The plant is the first scaled version of Cyclic's proprietary hydrometallurgical technology, REEPure and demonstrates the feasibility of this technology at a commercial scale. Hub100 has a design capacity to recycle 100 tonnes of magnetic material per year, producing recycled mixed rare earth oxides (rMREO) that can be reused in the rare earth magnet supply chain, as well as nickel and cobalt hydroxides.
"The opening of Hub100 marks a significant milestone in our company's journey. This successful scaling up of our technology emphasizes our commitment to growth and signifies our pursuit of innovation," said Ahmad Ghahreman, co-founder and CEO of Cyclic Materials. "The operation of this plant will allow us to continue learning and filling design criteria for full commercial scale of our REEPure technology while producing revenue-generating products. This is a crucial step toward building a domestic supply chain of rMREO in North America and growing our network of facilities to collect and recycle products containing rare earth magnets."
Established in 2021 in Kingston, Ontario, Cyclic Materials wants to create a circular supply chain for rare earth elements and other materials critical to electrification and the energy transition. Recycling these metals achieves significant environmental benefits in comparison to mining processes, including a reduced carbon footprint and water usage. Cyclic Materials' plans to deploy facilities across North America will position the company to help fulfill the demand for domestic sources of MREO.
"It is exciting for us to see Cyclic Materials continuing its growth in Kingston. The technology, expertise, and vision are a testament to the ecosystem Kingston has been nurturing over the years. Kingston continues to prove itself on the domestic and global fronts as a cleantech center for technology development and commercialization," said Abdul Razak Jendi, investment manager of sustainable manufacturing at the Kingston Economic Development Corporation.
