SUstainable EuroPean Rare Earth Elements production value chain from priMary Ores

SUPREEMO的目标是建立首个以欧洲(欧盟)初级资源为原料的商用前稀土元素(REES)生产价值链(TRL7)，以负责任的方式开发可持续、具有成本竞争力的加工、精炼和稀土(RE)永磁(PM)生产技术，符合当地和国际安全法规。这将有助于确保100%依赖中国进口的欧盟行业和战略部门的稀土材料供应。稀土元素的最大终端用户是永磁合金行业，该行业含有作为生产高能效电机的关键元素的稀土元素，这些元素对电动汽车和可再生能源技术至关重要。SUPREEMO将开发欧盟两个主要矿点的主要资源：格陵兰Kvanefjeld稀土矿床(大型稀土项目)，矿石储量为1.43亿吨；挪威芬矿(欧盟最大的碳酸盐岩矿床)，品位为1.2%-1.5%的稀土氧化物。它将利用以前项目中展示的技术，开发一种创新的、环境友好的、社会和经济可持续的稀土加工技术。在第一阶段，合作伙伴将在LCA和LCCA的指导下，优化独立技术，以阐明在第二阶段具有最佳工艺参数的最终综合工艺流程。这将在第三阶段的试点活动中得到验证。最后，TRL7将通过处理约10吨矿石来证明以与中国生产的商业价值类似的成本生产50-100公斤REO，并生产用于制造50公斤PM的稀土合金。将向主要利益攸关方传达和传播结果，并将制定具体的第一个业务计划，以吸引更多投资者，并刺激具有竞争力、弹性和可持续的REES生产价值链，为在欧盟市场全面部署做好准备。

SUPREEMO aims to establish the first pre-commercial Rare Earth Elements (REEs) production value chain (TRL7) using European (EU) primary resources as feedstock, developing sustainable, cost-competitive processing, refining and Rare Earth (RE) Permanent Magnet (PM) production technologies in a responsible way complying with local and international safety regulations. This will contribute in securing REE materials supply for the EU industry and strategic sectors which depends 100 % on Chinese imports. The largest end-user of REEs is the PMs industry, that contain neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium as key elements to produce high energy-efficient motors, which are vital for electric mobility and renewable energy technologies. SUPREEMO will exploit the primary resourcesfrom two major EU sites: Kvanefjeld REE-deposit Greenland (large scale RE project) with ore reserves of >143 Mtonne and Fen deposit Norway (largest carbonatite deposit in EU) with >200 Mtonne grading 1.2-1.5 % Total Rare Earth Oxides. It will capitalise on technologies demonstrated in previous projects and develop an innovative, environmentally friendly, socially and economically sustainable REEs processing technologies. During phase 1, the partners will optimise the stand alone technologies to elucidate the final integrated process flowsheet with the best processing parameters in phase 2, guided by LCA and LCCA. This will be validated at the piloting activities in phase 3. Finally, the production of 50-100 kg of REO at similar cost to commercial value from Chinese production will be demonstrated at TRL7 by processing ~ 10 tonnes of ores, and the production of Rare Earth Alloy for the manufacturing of 50 kg PMs. Results will be communicated and disseminated to key stakeholders and a concrete first business plan will be set to attract more investors and stimulate a competitive, resilient and sustainable REEs production value chain ready for full-scale deployment in the EU market.