Andrey Nechaev, CEO of «Rusredmet» Group of Companies: About the RAREMET-2026 Congress and the restoration of competencies

«Rusredmet» Group of Companies is a sponsor and co-organizer of the International Congress on Rare Metals, Materials and Technologies RMET-2026. On the eve of the begin of Russia's largest platform bringing together scientists, technologists and government authorities, we talked with Andrey Valeryevich Nechaev, CEO of «Rusredmet» Group of Companies. Andrey Valeryevich spoke about the work on creating the first industrial REM separation technology in Russia in recent decades, training personnel for high-tech REM production, and why the company supported the Congress.

— Andrey Valerievich, «Rusredmet» is a sponsor of the RAREMET-2026 Congress. What is the significance of participation in the Congress for your company?

— First of all, I want to say that it is a great honor for us to sponsor and actively participate in this significant event. The role of the Giredmet Institute as a scientific industry leader and organizer of the Congress can’t be overestimated — it sets the bar for technological standards and unites the country's leading experts. For our company, participation in the RAREMET-2026 Congress is an opportunity to be at the center of a dialogue between science, government and industry. In addition, as an engineering company specializing in developments in the field of rare and rare earth metals, we have the opportunity not only to present the results of our work, but also to share our experience with specialists, and not only from Russia.

— Andrey Valerievich, your company, together with Rosatom's mining division, has developed and launched a pilot plant for the separation of rare earth metals, and work is underway to scale the technology to industrial volumes. At what stage is the project now and what results have already been achieved?

— The project to create the first industrial separation plant for rare earth metals (REM) in modern Russia is at the design stage and is preparing for the construction of full-scale facilities at the Solikamsk Magnesium Plant (SMZ), which is part of the mining division of Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation - JSC "Rosatom Nedra". Before starting the design, our company, with the participation of Rosatom Nedra specialists, conducted full–scale studies, which resulted in the creation of a pilot plant, where the entire technological scheme was continuously worked out, the effectiveness of the technology was confirmed, and individual compounds of lanthanum, cerium, neodymium, and praseodymium with purity up to 99.5-99.9% were obtained.

— Rosatom Metal Tech company for the production of permanent magnets will become a key consumer of these products. How is this cooperation built up within the framework of the general Rosatom chain from raw materials to finished products?

— In our opinion, in the current conditions of the REM market, the implementation of a complete technological chain from extraction to finished REM-containing products within the framework of the State Corporation's contour is the only realistic direction that allows the development of the rare earth industry. This chain should become and, I am sure, will become a locomotive for the subsequent development of the industry and not only within the framework of the State Corporation. This project actually restores the technological chain that was lost after the collapse of the USSR — from the extraction of loparite on the Kola Peninsula to the production of finished products.

— Rusredmet is also working on a separation technology for the medium-heavy REM group. How difficult is this task and what prospects does its solution open up for the Russian industry?

— The separation of the medium—heavy REM group is a much more difficult task than the separation of the light group. This work is in the stage of dynamic testing. The first samples of individual compounds of the elements were obtained.

In fact, the development of this group of metals, including the production of finished products, allows the Russian Federation to move from a "mining region" to a full-fledged player in the global market of high-tech materials. And this is one of the parts of the realization of technological sovereignty in the field of rare earth metals (REM) — not just the presence of individual processing plants, but control over the entire value chain: from ore extraction, processing and separation to the finished product.

— Round tables on chemistry and technology of high purity substances, as well as on functional materials are planned at the Сongress. Are you planning to speak or participate in these discussions? What topics do you consider the most important for the industry today?

— Of course, the participation of the company's employees in the RAREMET-2026 program will be maximum. I plan to speak at the Conference "Mineral Resources of Rare Metals and Sustainable Processing Technologies". In addition, a number of our specialists will actively participate at other conferences of the Congress. I would like to note that all the topics of the Congress are extremely important, it is difficult to point out the most significant. The main value of RAREMET-2026 is in joining forces and comprehensively addressing industry issues, as Andrei Ivanovich Goliney, director of the Giredmet Institute, noted in his welcoming speech to the Congress participants.

— The personnel agenda is one of the cross–cutting topics of the Congress. How does «Rusredmet» solve the issue of training specialists for high-tech separation production? Which universities do you interact with?

— For our company, the personnel issue is not just the search for employees, but actually "manual work" and participation in the education of engineers. Specialists in the field of chemistry and technology of rare and rare-earth metals in Russia are trained in a number of universities in the country: St. Petersburg State Technical University (TU) (St. Petersburg), D.I. Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia (Moscow), NUST MISIS (Moscow), St. Petersburg Mining University, Boris Yeltsin UrFU (Yekaterinburg), RTU MIREA (Moscow). We cooperate with each of them, which consists both in organizing production practice and in involving senior students in specific research work for the real sector of the economy.

— How do you assess the potential of the Сongress as a platform for establishing new partnerships and demonstrating Russia's technological sovereignty in the field of rare and rare earth metals?

— We can already say that the upcoming RAREMET-2026 Congress is more than an industry event. The Congress will be attended by leading experts from Russia, India, China, Turkey, Egypt and many other countries. The RAREMET-2026 Congress provides not only an opportunity to establish partnerships with all participants, but also allows us to demonstrate Russia's technological sovereignty in the field of rare and rare earth metals. This event brings together key aspects of the industry's development, from scientific research to industrial solutions, which creates conditions for strengthening international cooperation and promoting domestic technologies.

—What will you offer your colleagues on the eve of the RAREMET Congress-2026

On the eve of the RAREMET-2026 Congress, I would like to wish all colleagues and partners productive work, fruitful discussions and breakthrough ideas that will contribute to the development of the rare and rare earth metals industry in Russia. I am confident that the event will become a platform for strengthening professional ties, sharing experiences and implementing joint projects for the benefit of the country's technological sovereignty. See you at the Congress!

— Thank you for an interesting and meaningful conversation!

The International Congress on Rare Metals, Materials and Technologies RAREMET-2026 will be held in Moscow from May 20 to 22, 2026 at the RTU MIREA. The event will include four conferences, round tables, and a specialized exhibition RAREMET:Expo where participants will be able to present their technological solutions, equipment and services for the rare metal industry. We invite students, postgraduates, young scientists, as well as all those involved in chemistry, materials science, and rare metal processing technologies to join the Congress..