The MAGELLAN project held its 3rd General Assembly on the 4th and 5th of February 2025 in Mons, Belgium, hosted by Comet Traitements (part of Groupe Comet). This two-day event brought together all the partners to review progress, discuss technical advancements, and refine the project’s direction for the upcoming period.
Here are the key highlights from each session:
Advancements in Improved Process Routes for Efficient Permanent Magnets
Frederico Orlandini Keller from Orano delivered an in-depth presentation on the progress made towards improving process routes for resource-efficient permanent magnets. The focus was on how magnets manufactured within the MAGELLAN project, incorporating 25% recycled content, could achieve the magnet grade requirements established by the project’s automotive partner, Centro Ricerche Fiat (CRF).
For these activities, a reference magnet composition alloy was defined, and the respective magnets were produced by Orano, CEA, and Magneti Ljubljana (MAG) using 100% virgin materials. These magnets serve as benchmarks against magnets to be produced with 25% recycled content, utilising end-of-life (EoL) magnets sourced from a mix of applications such as electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, e-scooter and e-bike motors, and various industrial equipment – representative of current collection and dismantling market scenarios.
The presentation highlighted the characterisation of the reference magnet properties, which were compared against the target magnet grade specified by CRF. The results confirmed that the reference magnet composition can meet the required performance, demonstrating its effectiveness as a baseline for evaluating the quality and performance of magnets containing recycled materials.
The presentation also included ongoing work comparing the efficiency of plasma melting carried out by Tecnalia (TEC) and induction melting used by CEA during strip-casting to determine the most effective homogenisation process for EoL magnets, aiming to maximise the yield of rare earth element (REE) content.
Further contributions came from Technische Universität Darmstadt (TUDa), which showcased their work on substituting neodymium-praseodymium (Nd-Pr) with cerium-lanthanum (Ce-La) using the two-powder method. The presented results provided insights into the defined alloy compositions of both the Nd-rich and Ce-rich powders. Furthermore, a structural and thermal behaviour analysis was presented for the Nd-rich powder, after the hydrogen decrepitation and jet milling phases.
CEA also presented the progress on their efforts to produce near-net-shape magnets through Powder Injection Moulding (PIM), including characterisation of the magnetic properties of the initial PIM-produced magnets and the identification of process parameters requiring optimisation to meet the performance standards of the reference magnet.
Progress in Magnet and Motor Design Towards Recycling
CRF and the IFP Energies Nouvelles (IFPEN) presented the progress achieved in enhancing magnet and motor design with a focus on recyclability. A significant milestone discussed was the establishment of a reference state-of-the-art Electric Vehicle Traction Motor (EVTM), currently in production, which will serve as a benchmark and a functional platform for demonstrating, comparing, and evaluating the project’s outputs and solutions. This reference EVTM provides a real-world framework to assess the performance and sustainability of innovations developed within MAGELLAN.
IFPEN introduced the digital twin developed for the EVTM, which has been validated through rigorous examination of the reference motor. This digital twin acts as a sophisticated simulation tool, enabling the project team to model and predict the performance of various design iterations without the need for physical prototypes, thereby accelerating the development process.
Progress in Recycling of End-of-Life Permanent Magnets Containing Heavy Rare Earth Elements
David Bastin from the University of Liège (ULG) provided an insightful presentation on the ongoing activities related to the recycling of EoL permanent magnets containing heavy rare earth elements (HREEs). The session highlighted the diverse sources and quantities of EoL permanent magnets that have been extracted to-date for the project’s purposes.
David presented the dismantling procedures for EoL EVTMs. The focus was on outlining the project’s future objectives, which include documenting standardised dismantling protocols and associated costs. These protocols are critical as they will inform several key project activities, including the design of optimised rotors and the development of recycled permanent magnets tailored to enhance the recyclability of EVTMs. Moreover, the insights gained from dismantling will contribute significantly to LCA and LCC analyses, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of the environmental and economic impacts of the recycling processes.
Additionally, the results of the extraction process of PMs were reported with a substantial quantity of permanent magnets having been successfully extracted and processed so far. These recycled materials are actively being utilised in various ongoing project activities, including the benchmark exercise between plasma melting route being advanced by TEC and the induction melting route being investigated by CEA.
Validating the Responsibility of the End-of-Life Recovery Value Chain for Permanent Magnets
Harri Kaikkonen from the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) presented the work focused on validating the responsibility of the EoL recovery value chain for permanent magnets. The presentation provided an overview of two key public reports scheduled for publication in June 2025.
The first report, concerning responsible sourcing of HREEs through the collection and recycling of EoL products, is being prepared by the ULG with contributions from industrial partners engaged in the collection and recovery of EoL products, including Comet Traitements (COM) and BLC-The Battery Life Cycle Company (BLC). This report will offer a comprehensive overview of local and regional collection schemes, alongside an analysis of the economic viability of extraction and dismantling processes. It aims to significantly enhance current knowledge of the market by differentiating between various Nd magnet streams based on their HREE content – an area often overlooked by national and EU projects that typically evaluate urban mine resources and collection schemes without distinguishing between different Nd-magnet compositions.
The second report focuses on responsible sourcing of REEs from the primary sector (mining) and explores potential synergies with recycling. Also prepared by ULG, this report is informed by interviews conducted with C-suite managers from leading EU and EEA REE projects. Unlike existing reviews, which rarely address the complementarity between the recycling and primary sectors within specific business models, this report is expected to generate substantial value for the PMs recycling sector. It will highlight potential synergies between these sectors and focus on the responsible sourcing of complementary light rare earth elements (LREEs), which are often abundant in the primary sector, aligning with the MAGELLAN project’s sustainability objectives.
Both reports were the subject of a dedicated working session on the second day of the General Assembly, providing valuable feedback and insights that will shape their final content
Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Costing for Sustainable End-of-Life Recovery Value Chain
Jan Klenner from Lomartov (LOM) presented preliminary results on LCA and LCC research as part of the efforts to validate the sustainability of the MAGELLAN solution. The presentation highlighted the establishment of a baseline scenario model for the PM production process, which serves as the foundation upon which further modifications will be made to align with the specific parameters and innovations introduced by the project.
The work on LCA and LCC was further explored during a dedicated working session on the second day of the General Assembly, providing an opportunity for in-depth discussions with project partners.
Demonstration of the MAGELLAN Solution for Highly Recyclable PMs in EVTMs
Misa Milosavljevic from IFPEN presented the progress and objectives surrounding the demonstration activities for the MAGELLAN solution, which commenced at the end of last year. During his presentation, Misa emphasised several core demonstration goals. The first involves proving the capability of Powder Injection Moulding (PIM) and magnets with 25% recycled content to meet the stringent requirements of EVTM applications, particularly in achieving the desired final shape of permanent magnets. He further elaborated on the integration of these PIM and recycled magnets into EVTMs, aiming to validate their robustness and ensure they meet precise geometrical tolerances essential for optimal motor performance.
Misa also discussed the plans to assess the operational durability of these magnets under realistic conditions using an automotive EVTM test bench. This evaluation will be crucial in understanding the performance, resilience, and long-term reliability of the magnets within actual operational environments. Additionally, he highlighted the importance of demonstrating efficient EoL dismantling and recycling processes, particularly focusing on the rotor level, to evaluate the ease of magnet recovery and the potential for material reuse.
A detailed discussion on the strategy to achieve these goals, along with the essential contributions from other project activities, took place during a dedicated session on the second day of the General Assembly.
Communication, Dissemination, and Impact Management
Yiannis Paphitis from RTD Talos presented the communication and dissemination strategies implemented to effectively promote the MAGELLAN project and its outcomes. He provided an overview of the diverse tools and channels utilised so far, highlighting events where the project was represented through its consortium members. Yiannis also outlined the strategic goals for the upcoming phases of the project, focusing on the development of exploitation plans to maximise the impact of the project’s results. These plans aim to facilitate the uptake of MAGELLAN’s innovations in both the market and future research initiatives, ensuring the long-term sustainability and relevance of the project’s outputs.
In the context of Impact Management, Nabeel Mancheri from EIT RawMaterials provided insights into the project’s networking activities with other EU-funded projects and relevant stakeholders within the European rare earth elements (REE) and permanent magnets (PM) ecosystem. These activities included MAGELLAN’s involvement in the Sustainable CRMs4EU cluster and the initiation and organisation of online events as part of the Rare Earth Roundtable series. Nabeel also presented a plan for cooperation, which includes identified topics for upcoming events, further engagement and collaboration within the CRMs4EU cluster, and opportunities for MAGELLAN’s participation in future events.
Visit to Comet Facilities
The first day of the General Assembly concluded with an insightful visit to Comet’s facilities in Mons, Belgium. Pierre Fiasse guided all attendees on a tour of the site, showcasing the advanced capabilities of Groupe Comet in collection, dismantling and extraction of various EoL products and materials. This visit provided project partners with a clear and tangible understanding of how the collection and recovery components of the MAGELLAN solution will be implemented at an industrial scale.
Working Group Session on sourcing of HREE from EoL Products and sourcing of REE from the Primary Sector
Philippe Giaro led the discussion centred on documenting current policies and guidelines governing the collection of EoL products within the European Union, with valuable contributions from industrial partners in the collection, dismantling and extraction industry (COM and BLC).
The discussions highlighted the critical efforts required to enhance the economic viability of the collection, dismantling and extraction phase, making the processes competitive with other EoL product extraction activities involving more profitable materials, as well as competitive with mining and processing of virgin raw materials. Participants exchanged insights that will be instrumental in refining the upcoming reports. One of the key contributions of the upcoming reports lies in supporting the identification of policy gaps and inform the development of actionable recommendations for future policymaking.
Working Group Session on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
Jan Klenner from LOM led the working group session focused on LCA, engaging with relevant partners to discuss the key processes that need to be included in the LCA calculations. The session aimed to gather valuable insights from partners across the value chain of recycled magnet production, with the goal of compiling a comprehensive LCA model that reflects all relevant parameters of the MAGELLAN solution.
Key highlights from the discussion included the recognition that the LCA should encompass multiple scenarios of magnet manufacturing methods to accurately reflect the diverse processes involved. Additionally, the session emphasised the necessity of further data collection, particularly concerning critical steps in the production process, such as the Grain Boundary Diffusion process. This data will be essential in refining the LCA model to ensure it provides robust and meaningful sustainability assessments for the MAGELLAN solution.
Working Group Session on Demonstrating the MAGELLAN Solution
Misa Milosavljevic from IFPEN coordinated the working group session focused on the demonstration of the MAGELLAN solution. Misa gathered feedback from project partners involved in the various activities that will contribute to the demonstration phase, ensuring that all efforts are aligned towards achieving the project’s objectives.
During the session, amongst others the technological readiness of Powder Injection Moulding (PIM) technology was discussed, with valuable contributions from CEA. An action plan was established for the optimisation phase of rotor design integrating PIM-manufactured magnets.
Additionally, testing and validation campaign was discussed, which will explore different combinations of magnet manufacturing techniques, magnet compositions, and rotor designs. This campaign aims to fully demonstrate the potential of the MAGELLAN solution within the automotive traction motor manufacturing sector.
We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Groupe Comet for their warm hospitality and excellent organisation of the General Assembly. Their support, along with the insightful tour of their state-of-the-art facilities, greatly contributed to the success of the event and provided invaluable perspectives on the industrial-scale applications of the MAGELLAN solution.
