Caremag Heavy Rare Earth Processing Facility

planned

The Caremag facility in southern France is the first heavy rare earth processing complex outside China capable of producing dysprosium and terbium oxides at industrial scale. It is a €500+ million project involving the Japan Organisation for Metals and Energy Security, Japanese gas firm Iwatani, and the French government. The facility aims to supply approximately 20% of Japan's future dysprosium and terbium requirements, with operations scheduled to commence in late 2026 and full capacity targeted for 2027. The project integrates with existing rare earth mining operations, notably the collaboration between Sojitz and Australia's Lynas Rare Earths, creating a mine-to-market value chain.