Facility

Neo Performance Materials — Sillamäe, Estonia (Rare Earth Separation)

The only commercial rare earth separation facility in Europe. Sillamäe was a closed Soviet city (population excluded from Estonian maps until 1989) built around a uranium enrichment facility — infrastructure now used for rare earth separation. Neo receives rare earth feedstock from multiple sources (including Russian and non-Russian sources) and separates it into NdPr oxide and other products for European magnet manufacturers. EU considers this plant critical infrastructure under the Critical Raw Materials Act. Estonia's border with Russia and historic Soviet connections add geopolitical complexity.