Production is actively developing in Russia rare earth metals (REM), key for high-tech industries. Valery Yazev, who visited the Solikamsk magnesium plant, confirmed: the enterprise, part of the Rosatom group, plays an important role in providing the country with strategic materials.
The Solikamsk magnesium plant, operating since 1936, has been processing rare earth metals for many years. Since 1958, they began to isolate rare earth metals from loparite concentrate, and today the enterprise provides:
- 100% Russian production of compounds of rare earth elements, niobium and tantalum;
- 75% of all magnesium in the country;
- 4% titanium.
During Valery Yazev’s visit, he was shown the full production cycle – from processing raw materials to producing finished products. Particular attention is paid to safety: the enterprise strictly adheres to standards, including the mandatory wearing of protective clothing, respirators and even gas masks in some workshops.
As part of the federal project “Development of the Rare and Rare-Earth Metals Industry,” a workshop for separating rare-earth metal carbonates is being built at the plant. This will allow the production of individual metals, including neodymium and praseodymium, which are critical for electronics, electric vehicles and the defense industry. The planned production volume is 2.5 thousand tons per year.
Creating our own production of rare earth metals is an important step to reduce dependence on imports. In 2023, the Solikamsk magnesium plant came under the control of Rosatom, which will accelerate the development of the industry. The head of the enterprise, Ruslan Dimukhamedov, noted that the plant’s technologies meet international standards.
Russia is actively developing the production of rare earth metals, strengthening its position in the world market. The new workshop in Solikamsk is part of the strategy to ensure the country’s technological sovereignty.
The material was prepared with the support of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science as part of the Decade of Science and Technology
Source: @gorprom
