Neo to Provide Separation Tech for Rainbow's Rare Earth Project in South Africa, Aiming 1,800 t/y NdPr Output

In September 2026, Neo Performance Materials announced that its Narva permanent magnet plant in Estonia began commercial production, with the first batch of sintered NdFeB magnets delivered to an EV traction motor client. The plant was commissioned in September 2025, with Phase 1 capacity of 2,000 mt/year and Phase 2 of approximately 5,000 mt/year in the design stage. The long-term global target is 20,000 mt/year, with dysprosium oxide and terbium oxide secured through the Carester agreement. The significance of this event lies not in "adding another 2,000 mt plant," but in bringing the existing base, in-construction growth, and raw material bottlenecks of magnetic material capacity outside China to the table all at once.

This week, rare earth prices outside China remained generally stable, with lanthanum oxide edging up and terbium oxide dipping slightly. Developments in overseas project exploration, smelting, and policy were frequent: resource updates in Brazil, Canada, Greenland, and Saudi Arabia; capacity expansions in Japan, France, and by Lynas expected to come online in 2027–2028; Neo's magnet plant commercialization, with a U.S. company securing military orders; Argentina advancing rare earth legislation, and Arafura locking in a long-term wind power agreement. Short-term supply growth is limited, and large-scale release will take time.

【SMM Rare Earth Flash】 Axel REE has updated resources at its Caladao project in Brazil. The Woolrich ionic clay deposit grew 107% to 265 Mt at 0.1101% TREO and 0.00347% Ga₂O₃, including 110 Mt Indicated at 0.1073% TREO. Total Caladao resources rose 24% to 709 Mt at 0.1443% TREO, while gallium resources increased 31% to 580 Mt at 0.00371% Ga₂O₃, one of the world's largest gallium deposits. Column leach tests using warm magnesium sulfate improved recoveries while maintaining a 39% magnet REO ratio. The company plans in-situ recovery (ISR) field trials, positioning itself as a pioneer of low-impact ISR in Minas Gerais.