Plans submitted for multi-million pound rare earth plant in Hull which will create hundreds of jobs

Pensana Rare Earths has filed an application for a proposed rare earth oxide separation facility at the Saltend Chemicals Park. If approved the plant will be one of only handful of such facilities worldwide outside of China and the only such site in the UK.Pensana is investing $125 million into the plant which will generate around 100 direct jobs once constructed and in operation.

Rare earth is a crucial components in the manufacture of powerful permanent magnets which are used in a range of growing advanced industries including electric vehicles and offshore wind turbines.

The application is expected to take up to three months to review and wishes to establish Pensana alongside a cluster of global renewable energy businesses including BP Chemicals and Ineos who have set up shop in the Humber estuary.

Pensana’s Chairman Paul Atherley said: “We have been delighted with the enthusiastic support from a broad range of stakeholders for this proposed investment, which will create high value manufacturing jobs in the Humber region and will be an important step in establishing the world’s first sustainable mine to magnet metal supply chain in the UK.

“We look forward to working with local stakeholders on establishing the approvals for this investment in high value manufacturing in the UK.”