Niron Magnetics’ commercial pilot plant in Minneapolis is reported to be the first of its kind.
MINNEAPOLIS—Niron Magnetics, reported to be the world’s only producer of powerful rare-earth-free permanent magnets, recently opened its commercial pilot plant in Minneapolis. The first-of-its-kind facility produces a sustainable alternative to rare earth permanent magnets that are critical inputs to a wide variety of technologies and industries, including electric vehicles, wind energy, and consumer electronics, according to a release from Niron Magnetics.
The company stated in the release that approximately 90 percent of all powerful permanent magnets are currently produced in China. This concentrated supply chain creates significant national security risks and environmental challenges. These rare earth magnets contain neodymium and other rare earth elements, which are sourced using unsustainable and environmentally toxic mining practices, the company said.
Niron’s Clean Earth Magnet® technology is reportedly the first and only powerful permanent magnet that does not require any rare earth elements. Instead, it is manufactured from iron and nitrogen—two abundant, safe, and non-toxic materials—that can be sustainably sourced in the United States and do not require new mining projects.
The opening of the 70,000 square-foot Minneapolis facility is seen as a key milestone on Niron’s path to scaled production of its Clean Earth Magnet technology. It is also said to be key to the company’s ability to bridge the acute supply and demand gap for permanent magnets that is projected before the end of the decade.
“Niron is advancing the magnet industry with an inherently sustainable technology developed right here in the U.S.,” said Jonathan Rowntree, CEO of Niron Magnetics, in the release. “With the official opening of our commercial pilot plant, we’ve taken a significant step towards establishing a reliable, domestic supply of high-performance magnets critical for U.S. national security, while launching the next generation of clean energy technologies and sustainable manufacturing.”
The opening of Niron’s commercial pilot plant is said to have created more than 60 new jobs in the Minneapolis area, including roles in engineering, manufacturing, and research and development. The commercial pilot facility has production capacity of greater than 5 tons of Clean Earth Magnets per year, as well as defined manufacturing processes for Niron’s full-scale manufacturing facility.
“It was great to be back at Niron Magnetics to see the progress they’re making to strengthen our country’s supply chain for advanced magnets,” said U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, in the release. “I’ve worked with Niron to secure federal resources to support their cutting-edge research, and I’ll continue fighting to ensure we remain a state and country that makes stuff, invents things, and exports to the world.”
The grand opening of Niron’s commercial pilot facility closely followed Niron’s announcement in October that it had selected Sartell, Minnesota as the site for its full-scale manufacturing facility. The Sartell facility will produce 1,500 tons of rare-earth-free magnets per year and is expected to come online in 2026 to meet the surging demand for rare earth-free permanent magnets, the company said in the release.
Niron Magnetics is scaling what is reportedly “the world’s first advanced manufacturing process for the mass production of permanent magnets powered by its breakthrough material formulation.” The company’s proprietary Clean Earth Magnet technology, based on iron nitride, is said to enable magnets with inherently high magnetization, free of rare earths and other critical materials. Niron expects it to drive innovation in various industries, the company said.