MP Materials commences production of rare earth magnets at North Fort Worth facility

MP Materials facility in the AllianceTexas area of Fort Worth commenced commercial production of neodymium-praseodymium metal and trial production of automotive-grade, sintered neodymium-iron-boron magnets on Jan. 22. The latter are essential components in vehicles, drones, robotics, electronics and aerospace and defense systems.

A closer look

According to the news release, with commercial neodymium-praseodymium metal production already online and trial production of sintered magnets underway, the company’s Fort Worth facility is poised to reach the following milestones:

• Producing approximately 1,000 metric tons of finished neodymium-iron-boron magnets per year, with a gradual production ramp beginning in late 2025.
• Supplying magnets to General Motors and other manufacturers

The news release states MP Materials sources its raw materials from its Mountain Pass mine and processing facility in California.

Quote of note

“This milestone marks a major step forward in restoring a fully integrated rare earth magnet supply chain in the United States,” said James Litinsky, founder, chairman and CEO of MP Materials. “With record-setting upstream and midstream production at Mountain Pass and both metal and magnet production underway at [the Fort Worth facility], we have reached a significant turning point for MP and U.S. competitiveness in a vital sector.”

The backstory

MP Materials received a $58.5 million award from the U.S. Department of Energy in April 2024 to advance its construction of America’s first fully integrated rare earth magnet manufacturing facility in AllianceTexas.