Magrathea, a technology company specialising in magnesium production from seawater, has launched its new magnesium chloride electrolyser at its pilot facility in Oakland, California, US.
This development marks a step towards scaling the company’s operations and providing a US-based critical minerals supply chain.
The company’s new electrolyser is designed to optimise the production of magnesium metal by splitting magnesium salts using electricity.
Magrathea’s technology is set to significantly reduce both the carbon footprint and operating costs of future commercial plants.
Over the coming months, Magrathea will collect and process data, aiming to minimise electricity usage, recycle energy and refine the dehydration process, which presents the largest cost-saving potential in magnesium metal production.
The gathered data and processing insights are also expected to facilitate the permitting processes for new facilities due to the technology’s environmental benefits.
Magrathea’s advancements in magnesium production technology come at a crucial time, as Russia and China currently dominate 90% of the global primary magnesium supply, with no significant producer in any NATO country.
The company’s pilot plant in California has the capacity to produce 4,000 pounds of magnesium annually at full capacity and demonstrates competitive operating costs.
The technology is carbon-neutral, producing zero CO₂ equivalent/kg of magnesium, compared with more than 40kg of CO₂ equivalent with the current Chinese process. This attribute is expected to aid in streamlining future facility permitting.
Magrathea CEO Alex Grant said: “Magnesium is one of the most important critical materials, but NATO countries face a dire shortage of non-China supply. Western nations must view this supply crisis as a national security emergency.
“At our core, Magrathea’s innovative technology revitalises a proven process with our own twist for considerable efficiency improvement and expense reduction. We expect to reduce the technology’s operating expenses to make it cost-competitive with alternative production methods that exist today, including in China.”
With plans to scale up production to two million pounds of magnesium per year by 2027, Magrathea aims to meet the demands of various industries including aerospace and defence.
The company has already secured agreements with more than 25 companies including ten linked to the US defence industry, an offtake agreement with a global automaker and a resource supply agreement with Cargill.
Additionally, Magrathea’s production of chloride co-products opens further market opportunities.
The company’s scale-up efforts are supported by Sedgman Novopro, an engineering operator with mining and mineral processing expertise.
Backed by credible investors such as the US Department of Defense and leaders from companies such as Glencore and Tesla, Magrathea is well-positioned to advance its magnesium production technology.
