France funds strategic material projects: rare‑earth refining startup and hydrogen plant

Remedy Metals, a French start‑up founded by Peter Dunne, closed a €1 million seed round backed by Bpifrance to develop an electro‑chemical process for refining rare‑earth metals. The technology aims to provide a less polluting alternative to current Asian‑dominated methods and to help Europe cut its dependence on China for critical magnets used in electric vehicles, wind turbines and defence equipment.

The French state has selected the eM‑Rhône project in Isère for its hydrogen‑decarbonisation programme, but will fund only a third of the plant’s cost. The scheme supports a 61.1 MW electrolyser capable of producing 150,000 tonnes of methanol per year, with the remaining two‑thirds of the facility, intended for maritime transport, excluded from this funding stream. The decision reflects the government's focus on industrial hydrogen use while other applications are covered by separate mechanisms.