SOLVAY (rare earth recycling and extraction plant)

Since 1863, Solvay has harnessed the power of chemistry to deliver innovative and sustainable solutions that meet our planet's most fundamental needs.

Our new Purpose – We are the essential chemistry that makes progress possible for future generations – highlights our everyday essentials and our unique position in the industry. Our technologies help shape a better world, whether by purifying the air, preserving water or food, protecting our health and well-being, creating environmentally friendly clothing, or improving the durability of our car tires.

Founded in 1948, theThe La Rochelle plant is a world leader in the manufacture of high-performance rare earth products..
With a unique know-how andcutting-edge industrial tools, the La Rochelle site employs more than 300 people and today constitutes the main rare earth site outside China and the only one in Europe capable of processing light and heavy rare earths in industrial quantities.

This site manufactures high-tech products serving the automotive pollution control, medical imaging, and polishing markets for electronics and high-precision glass.
Solvay, thanks to its La Rochelle site, the expertise of its teams and its history in the field of rare earths, is positioning itself as a strategic contributor to electrification and the energy transition in France and Europe by offering advanced solutions for the permanent magnet sector and their circularity needs since April 2025.

Value Chain Segment

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