China’s magnet dominance challenged, high performance magnet production validated on pilot line

France has taken a crucial step to end Europe’s reliance on Chinese rare-earth magnets. Orano and the CEA, two leading French organizations cooperating on nuclear fuel cycle operations, have successfully produced high-performance NdFeB magnets on a pilot line in Grenoble.

The firms in a statement said the Grenoble facility has reliably produced N45UH-grade neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) permanent magnets, “offering some of the highest performance levels available, confirming the maturity of the process,” according to a news release in Business Wire.

NdFeB permanent magnets provide some of the highest magnetic energy levels currently available on an industrial scale. The N45UH grade combines high magnetic strength with resistance to demagnetization at elevated temperatures.

This grade makes the magnets suitable for demanding applications across electric mobility, low-carbon energy, high-tech industry, robotics and defense. They can be used in components including motors, generators, actuators and magnetic sensors.

France targets high-performance magnet production

The Grenoble achievement comes at a time when Europe relies heavily on China for rare-earth materials and permanent magnets used in strategic industries.

The EU sources 98 percent of its rare-earth magnet demand from Chinese suppliers, while China produces about 95 percent of the world’s rare-earth oxides and supplies 70 percent of Europe’s rare-earth imports, per the World Economic Forum in 2025.

Only a small number of players worldwide currently possess the full range of expertise needed to manufacture these high-performance magnets. Rare-earth recovery rates remain below 1 percent.

In this context, the Orano-CEA pilot line establishes a capability to produce high-performance magnets in France, with the partners aiming to support the future development of industrial production capacity in Europe.

“The results achieved on this pilot line show that the ambition we set out a year ago is now close to becoming a reality with the successful production of this magnet grade,” said Philippe Stohr, director of the Department of Energy at the CEA.

Stohr described the Grenoble platform as a major strategic asset for France and Europe both noting that it is integrated into the French industrial value chain from rare-earth refining through permanent magnet production.

The partners combined Orano’s experience in industrialization and complex processes with the CEA’s scientific expertise in magnet design and advanced materials for energy applications.

“Beyond the performance achieved in just one year, the key takeaway is that we now have mastery of every aspect of the manufacturing process. By combining our expertise with that of the CEA, we have developed, qualified and demonstrated an integrated technology covering every stage in the production of NdFeB permanent magnets,” added Guillaume Dureau, Orano Senior Executive Vice President, Projects & Engineering.

The firms will now focus on improving process performance and incorporating recycled raw materials as they work toward supporting future industrial production of high-performance permanent magnets in Europe.

Magellan and Magnolia consortia

The project is a part of two collaborative consortia in Europe and France– Magellan and Magnolia – focused on magnet production from recycled critical metals.

Created in 2024, Magellan includes 14 organizations from eight European countries, with Orano serving as coordinator. Its mission is to develop a European value chain for recycling and manufacturing permanent magnets.

The French Magnolia consortium, created in 2022, brings together Orano, CEA Liten, Valeo, Paprec and Daimantel. It aims to develop a French industrial value chain for recycling used sintered magnets and manufacturing new ones.