Page 170 - CW E-Magazine (1-4-2025)

News from Abroad Special Report

PROJECT UPDATE Process safety and risk management (Part 3):
Caremag secures financing to build rare earth recycling Technical Model and Site Safety Leadership

and refining facility in France

Prepare and Prevent, don’t 2. Approving safety items and policies
France’s Caremag, a subsidiary of Repair and Repent. The chain is of plant-wide nature. JOY M. SHAH
Carester, has secured €216-mn to build a “only as long as the weakest link” – 3. Exchanging safety information Founder and Chief Consultant
rare earth recycling and refining industri- Unknown. between plant and site areas. Innov8 ProTech Solutions
al facility in Lacq, in the south of France. Former Sr. Vice President – Technical
Reliance Industries Ltd.
Carester specialises in the refining of For Goal Zero incident, the system The CSC is supported by various sub- E-mail: joymshah@gmail.com
rare earth elements, while Caremag is needs to be developed for clarity and committees addressing each element of
focussed on advancing recycling in the uniformity. As mentioned in above Process Safety and Behavioural Safety: report to CSC. Each committee consists
rare earth ecosystem. statements, if you do not prepare to 1. Process Hazards Analysis. of cross-functional team members from
prevent, you will repent. Again, if any of 2. Incident and injury investigations. Line Function. Each plant or group of
Expected to begin operations by late the links in the system is weak, incident 3. Pre-start up safety review. 2-3 plants can have one Safety Coordi-
2026, the project is backed by Japanese cannot be zeroed down. Subject is vast; 4. Management of Change. nator. This is not Line Function and
investors and the French government. The therefore following article is only ready 5. Mechanical Integrity and Quality reports to CSC, whose role is:
Japan Organization for Metals and Energy reckoner for site leadership. Assurance. 1. Coordinate safety activities of plants
Security (JOGMEC) and the private firm Support will also come from the bium oxides – representing around 15% 6. Contractor safety. and working of sub-committees.
Iwatani Corporation, through their joint Nouvelle-Aquitaine region and French of global production – and 800 tonnes of To start with, I would like to con- 7. Process technology. 2. Participate in CSC.
venture, Japan France Rare Earth Company, energy giant TotalEnergies through its Neodymium and Praseodymium oxides, sider following objectives for safety 8. Emergency planning and response. 3. Give advice on:
will invest up to €110-mn in equity and ‘Induslacq’ platform, along with equity Caremag is seeking to play a vital role management system: 9. Safety Observation and Standard a. Training employees.
shareholder loans in the Caremag plant. contributions from Carester and its in supplying key materials for electric 1. All accidents and injuries can be Operating Procedure. b. Offer training to supervisor of Line
This investment includes a long-term employees (21 of whom are shareholders vehicles, wind turbines, and advanced prevented. 10. Operating Discipline and Recognition. Function.
supply agreement to provide Japan with in Caremag). electronics. 2. Management is not only accountable 11. Training and capability development. c. Safety observation.
heavy rare earth oxides. but responsible for preventing injuries. 12. Audit and assessment. d. Conduct and participate in Incident
The Caremag facility will recycle “Caremag will incorporate patented 3. Working safely must be the most Investigation.
The French government will provide 2,000 tonnes of magnets and refine cutting-edge technologies designed to important condition of employment Each plant or group of 2-3 plants can e. Ensure learning from incident is
financial support in the form of subsidies 5,000 tonnes of mining concentrates reduce CO emissions while minimising and all line managers and supervisors have such dedicated committee who will reaching right employees.
2
and repayable advances granted under annually, positioning itself as Europe’s water consumption and ensuring the have role to play.
the France Relance and France 2030 first large-scale rare earth recycling faci- absence of liquid effluents. Moreover, 4. All operating exposures can be safe-
project calls, as well as a Green Industry lity and the largest western producer of over 80% of direct CO emissions will be guarded or avoided.
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tax credit granted in July 2024, totalling purified heavy rare earth. With an output recycled within the process,” said Frédéric 5. Training employees to work safely is
€106-mn. of 600 tonnes of Dysprosium and Ter- Carencotte, President, Carester. essential requirement for safety.
BATTERY MATERIALS 6. Prevention of personal injuries is
good business sense to improve triple
Japan’s Zeon to set up Joint venture for sales of bottomline.
anode binders in China There are two branches of safety

organisation, viz. Supporting or Staff
Japanese chemicals firm, Zeon Cor- April 2025. The jv will have the exclusive China’s domestic market by leveraging Function, and Implementing or Line
poration, has announced that its Chinese sales rights in China’s domestic market for the sales channels of Semcorp, which Function. Although safety is Line
arm, Zeon Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. products manufactured by Chenyu under boasts the number one share of the sepa- Function, Staff Function plays important
and Zhuhai Chenyu New Material Tech- licenses granted by Zeon, which include rator (microporous membrane made of role consisting of Central Safety Com-
nology Co. Ltd., an affiliate of Shanghai the manufacturing technology and intel- resin used for separating the cathode and mittee (CSC), i.e., Safety Department,
Energy New Materials Technology Co. lectual property for anode binders used anode inside the battery) market in China, and several sub-committees.
Ltd. (Semcorp) have agreed to set up a in lithium-ion batteries. and by integrating the anode binder tech-
joint sales venture for anode binders used nology cultivated over the years by Zeon The role of CSC is:
in lithium-ion batteries. The joint sales The goal of this partnership is to fur- with Chenyu’s competitive manufacturing 1. Originating, coordinating and guiding
venture is to be established at the end of ther expand the anode binder business in costs. the overall plant safety efforts.

170 Chemical Weekly April 1, 2025 Chemical Weekly April 1, 2025 171

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