PASSENGER: How Rare- Earth-free magnets are building a more resilient Europe

PASSENGER: How RareEarth-free magnets are building a more resilient Europe FACT SHEET From challenge to opportunity Europe faces a critical vulnerability: importing almost 100% of its rare earth elements with recycling rates below 1%. This dependence threatens the green transition and economic security. PASSENGER aims to transform this challenge into an opportunity by developing rare-earth-free permanent magnets from European materials which can create jobs, lower costs, strengthen resilient supply chains and increase the industrial independence of the European economy. PASSENGER’s key socio-economic facts: Boosted competitiveness Significantly lower-cost magnets and reduced dependency on imported raw materials strengthen European manufacturing. Environmental & Safety gains Drastic reductions in CO₂ emissions and toxicity create a cleaner environment and safer workplaces. Jobs & future leadership Building a skilled workforce and pilot production plants to generate new jobs and secure Europe’s position in green tech. DOI: 10.5281/ZENODO.17172442 Societal impact: improving lives across Europe Improving Health & Safety in the workplace Health and Safety analysis indicates RE-free magnet production could eliminate risks associated with handling hazardous reagents, like from neodymium dust and hydrochloric acid. The study recommends replacing neodymium production processes with ferrite and Mn-Al-C to potentially mitigate chemical hazards, leading to safer working conditions and reduced health risks for industrial workers and communities. Reducing environmental toxicity Preliminary Life Cycle Assessment results suggest Mn-Al-C magnets could achieve 80.47% reduction in CO₂ emissions and Sr-ferrite magnets may show 74.11% decrease in human toxicity impacts compared to NdFeB magnets, directly contributing to cleaner air, improved public health and EU’s overall climate goals. By utilising locally sourced materials and designing for recyclability of the end-of-life products, we are minimising Europe's environmental footprint and advancing the transition to a circular economy. Raising public awareness about the Green Transition Strategic communication activities have successfully engaged a wide cross-section of the European public. Through workshops, scientific literature, demonstrations, educational activities, we are empowering citizens, industry leaders, and policymakers to make informed decisions that accelerate the adoption of green technologies. Maximizing impact through European collaboration Active clustering with sister projects and joint actions ensure PASSENGER's solutions are synergised with the wider European research landscape. This collaborative approach leverages collective intelligence to solve common societal challenges more effectively, preventing duplication and driving broader, faster change. Building a skilled and inclusive innovation ecosystem Our commitment to education and dissemination supports academia, industry, and policymakers with the knowledge and skills needed to implement novel, green technologies in permanent magnet production, future-proofing Europe’s innovation ecosystem. Furthermore, by systematically integrating gender equality and ethics into our project plan, we are fostering more inclusive and equitable research practices for the European STEM sector. PASSENGER is a key member of the Sustainable CRMs4EU cluster initiative Economic impact: enhancing European competitiveness & resilience Reducing manufacturing costs and boosting competitiveness PASSENGER's rare-earth-free magnets offer a paradigm shift in cost-efficiency. Life Cycle Cost analysis suggests that sintered Mn-Al-C magnets are substantially cheaper to produce than conventional NdFeB magnets. These cost advantages could enable European manufacturers to compete more effectively in global markets whilst reducing dependency on volatile rare earth element pricing. Mitigating supply chain risk By utilising raw materials sourced from strategic European deposits across Ukraine, Norway, Iceland, and Spain, PASSENGER is demonstrating how to build resilient magnets supply chains within the EU. This approach could significantly reduce Europe's current 100% import dependency for rare earth elements to produce permanent magnets, protecting European industry from geopolitical supply disruptions and price volatility that threaten manufacturing competitiveness. Generating new intellectual property and market opportunities The project is generating valuable intellectual property through patent applications and developing new industry standards for RE-free permanent magnets. This knowledge development positions European partners as potential leaders in sustainable magnet technologies, with licensing opportunities and technology transfer benefits extending beyond the original consortium. External research ( Severson et al. (2022)) estimates potential annual savings of up to USD 161 million by 2050 in automotive applications, indicating significant market opportunities in the growing green technology sector. Building European research capacity Over €8.8 million invested across 20 partner organisations in 8 European countries covering personnel, equipment and services for project implementation. This investment creates immediate economic benefits in local communities whilst establishing foundations for future employment opportunities in sustainable technology sectors. Fostering regional growth and employment PASSENGER's eight pilot plants are working towards demonstrating industrial viability at Technology Readiness Level 7, creating potential pathways for scaling up production facilities across Europe. These pilot activities lay groundwork for a sustainable value chain that could stimulate economic development, and generate new high-skilled jobs in manufacturing, engineering, and R&D, particularly in regions with strategic mineral deposits and manufacturing capabilities. Building a resilient European future The PASSENGER project demonstrates Europe's potential to address strategic vulnerabilities in critical raw material supply whilst supporting green transition objectives. By developing rare-earth-free permanent magnets using European materials, the project's pilot plants show how European industry could balance environmental sustainability with economic competitiveness without compromising performance requirements. PASSENGER's approach—combining technical innovation with economic analysis, environmental assessment, and social considerations—provides a model for European research-industry collaboration on complex challenges. With studies indicating potential reductions of up to 80% in CO₂ emissions and complete European value chains from raw materials extraction to final products, the project offers valuable insights for reducing critical dependencies whilst supporting European climate and economic objectives. Important note: This factsheet outlines the anticipated outcomes and impacts of the PASSENGER project based on the results achieved to date and methodologies for future evaluation. While every effort has been made to provide a comprehensive and realistic forecast, quantifying socio-economic impact, especially during the project's current stage, presents significant challenges. The content is based on the following report: MNLT Innovations PC (2024), PASSENGER D6.3 Socio-economic impact of the results. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12189189 Further reading This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement no. 101003914 Find out more @Passenger_EU /company/passenger-eu PassengerEU passenger_eu_project HTTPS://PASSENGER�PROJECT.EU