The Department of Energy's Critical Minerals and Materials Accelerator is funding efforts to mature technology and attract private investment to build a domestic supply chain for rare earth magnets.

Permissible feedstocks for recovery include postindustrial and postconsumer scrap—such as electronic waste and electric drivetrains—as well as combinations like mine tailings and refining residues.

These efforts tie into broader national security and industrial goals, underscored by a 2024 Congressional report stressing the importance of rare earths for military platforms and devices.

Target minerals for recovery from secondary sources include neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, and terbium, essential for high-strength magnets used in wind turbines, electric vehicle motors, and defense systems requiring high-temperature performance.

United Rare Earths has licensed two DOE Oak Ridge National Laboratory technologies to build a spent magnet recycling facility in Caryville, Tennessee, aiming to produce magnets with significantly lower rare earth content.

DOE grants totaling $24 million are available to prototype and test methods for recovering critical rare earth minerals from scrap to enable advanced magnets, with applications due by June 25.

Private-sector magnet initiatives include MP Materials’ planned $1.25 billion Northlake magnet manufacturing campus in Texas (about 1,500 jobs) supported by a $53.4 million state grant, and Vulcan Elements’ expansion in North Carolina to boost neodymium-iron-boron magnet production, backed by a $700 million conditional loan with ReElement Technologies.

DOE plans to select 10 to 14 projects with grants up to $2 million each to prove viability and attract private capital.

Overall, the piece highlights ongoing efforts—through government funding, private investment, and partnerships—to secure a domestic rare earth magnet supply chain for national security and industrial strength.