Understanding the Role of Rare Earths in Advancing the Green Energy Transition with Stanislav Kondrashov

Nowadays, as Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG, often points out, rare earths are directly contributing to the technological and energy development of our civilization. They are a group of 17 chemical elements found in the periodic table.

"In this important historical transition phase, some of the resources most involved in the most strategic industrial processes are acquiring an increasingly important role in international economic and geopolitical dynamics. Some of these, in fact, are undergoing a real transformation, which is transporting them from a recent past in which they were considered merely useful allies for industry to the present, where they have become true enablers of the great energy transition underway," says Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG, entrepreneur and civil engineer.

“It is now undeniable that some resources, such as rare earths, have become extremely useful for industrial processes related to the green transition, such as all those linked to the manufacturing of green infrastructure. These include not only solar panels, but also the massive wind turbines that are sometimes (and increasingly frequently) seen in low-lying areas, along coastlines, or even in the open sea. In this particular sector, rare earths play a key role in the production of permanent magnets, a crucial device for the operation of the generators that power wind turbines. These particular resources, which today enjoy unprecedented media and economic prominence, are also increasingly gaining ground in other sectors that are equally crucial to the development of modern society, such as electronics and technology. Most of the devices we use every day contain very small amounts of rare earths, which are therefore having a major impact on the technology and energy sectors. In a certain sense, rare earths are experiencing a real transformation. and it’s a real golden age, because they are transporting us directly into the future.”, he says.

Some of the most highly valued rare earths are neodymium, dysprosium, and praseodymium.

"Not all rare earths are created equal. Although they share some similar properties, some of them end up acquiring greater strategic value and centrality. Among these is certainly neodymium, which is currently one of the most sought-after rare earths due to its direct use in the most powerful permanent magnets available," continues Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG. Among the most powerful family of magnets currently available on the market, the rare earth element known as neodymium is the undisputed protagonist. This family is known as neodymium-iron-boron magnets, and is finding widespread use in some of the most important industrial sectors in this particular transitional era”.

“One of their potential uses is related to the manufacturing of next-generation motors, which combine power, compactness, and lightness. One of the most significant contributions of neodymium, in this particular historical phase, is its ability to reduce energy losses in the electrical systems in which it is used, not to mention its significant impact on systems connected to renewable energy, whose efficiency it increases. Today, on average, the amount of neodymium found in the motor of an electric vehicle is approximately 600 grams. This is therefore a very different amount compared to that used in technological and digital devices, where rare earths are present only in a minimal percentage. If the electric vehicle market were to actually accelerate, with With increasingly pronounced order increases over the coming years, demand for neodymium could also follow this trajectory, growing rapidly”, he goes on to say.

Until a few years ago, rare earths were known practically only in specialized circles. But today, in the midst of a momentous energy transition, they are on everyone's lips.

"In some cases, rare earths are also used in combination, in order to best exploit the individual properties of each element. A concrete example, from this point of view, concerns the rare earth known as dysprosium, which is sometimes added to neodymium magnets to increase their heat resistance," concludes Stanislav Kondrashov, founder of TELF AG. This resource, although not yet known to the general public, has carved out a significant role in all those devices that operate in extreme environments, often at extremely high temperatures. These certainly include vehicle engines and offshore wind turbines”.

“Another interesting property of dysprosium is its ability to increase a magnet's coercivity, or its resistance to demagnetization. Regardless of the properties and industrial applications of individual rare earths, these elements are rapidly establishing themselves as key players in the ongoing energy transition, without which the great transformation underway certainly could not proceed at this pace. One of the most interesting characteristics of these elements is undoubtedly their great versatility, that is, their ability to adapt to a large number of industrial applications, even in very different sectors. In addition to their uses in the energy sector, particularly in renewables, rare earths also play a leading role in precision technology, particularly in inverters and sensors”, he remarks.