Taiwan researcher calls for ‘urban mining’ to recover rare earth elements

台灣研究人員呼籲「城市採礦」回收稀土元素

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Taiwan researcher said the rare earth supply crisis triggered by China’s export restrictions could be lessened through “urban mining,” a process that extracts valuable elements from industrial and electronic waste.

National Cheng Kung University Department of Resources Engineering Professor Lee Cheng-han (李政翰) said urban mining promotes sustainability and a circular economy while reducing environmental damage, development costs, and reliance on imported rare earths, per Liberty Times.

China currently dominates the global rare earth market and recently tightened its export controls, impacting industries such as electric vehicles, renewable energy, and drones.

Lee said rare earth elements, despite their name, are not actually rare but are difficult to extract and refine without causing significant environmental pollution. “Few countries can replicate China’s large-scale mining and refining model due to the high environmental costs,” he said.

As an alternative, Lee proposed that Taiwan focus on recycling rare earths from waste materials. “Urban mining is less energy-intensive and can significantly reduce Taiwan’s dependence on imports.”

He said permanent magnets used in high-efficiency motors made from elements like samarium, neodymium, and dysprosium as a prime source for recovery. China’s April restrictions have driven up global magnet prices, increasing the urgency of alternative supply solutions.

Magnets found in scrapped electric vehicles can be recovered through mechanical separation and chemical refining. “Many Taiwanese researchers have already been working on refining technology to recover these elements,” he added.

For instance, an ionic liquid separation system developed by NCKU can effectively extract dysprosium from neodymium magnets, offering a cleaner and more efficient recycling method.

Lee said Taiwan’s advancements in rare earth recovery technology position it well for future challenges in global resource competition. However, he emphasized that scaling up these efforts will require collaboration among academia, industry, and government.

“Through innovation, international cooperation, and supportive policies, Taiwan has a real opportunity to gain a foothold in the global rare earth supply chain,” Lee said.