{
  "id": 19269290,
  "title": "LS Eco Energy makes push for world's 1st mass production of samarium",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/10/ls-eco-energy-makes-push-for-worlds-1st-mass-production-of-samarium",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-10T02:37:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times-koreatimes",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/business/companies/20261110/ls-eco-energy-makes-push-for-worlds-1st-mass-production-of-samarium"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "LS Eco Energy, a subsidiary of LS Cable & System, has announced plans to commence trial production of samarium metal in December, with the ambitious goal of becoming the world's first company to mass-produce this crucial material for permanent magnets using non-Chinese raw materials. This strategic move is part of the company's broader efforts to establish an independent supply chain ahead of forthcoming U.S. restrictions on rare earth materials utilized in defense applications.\n\nTo achieve this ambitious objective, LS Eco Energy is allocating 11.6 billion won ($8 million) to the construction of a samarium metal production facility at its subsidiary, LSCV, located in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The company anticipates initiating trial production in December, subsequently transitioning to full-scale mass production. With an annual capacity of 240 tons of samarium metal, the facility will be capable of producing approximately 700 to 1,000 tons of samarium-cobalt (SmCo) permanent magnets.\n\nSamarium is a vital component in the production of SmCo permanent magnets, renowned for their exceptional magnetic strength at elevated temperatures. These magnets find extensive applications in the aerospace and defense sectors, including the manufacturing of fighter jets and missiles.",
  "summary": "LS Eco Energy, a subsidiary of LS Cable & System, said Tuesday it will begin trial production of samarium metal in December, with the goal of becoming the world's first company to mass-produce the key material for permanent magnets using non-Chinese raw materials. The move is part of the company's efforts to establish a supply chain independent of China ahead of new U.S. restrictions on rare…",
  "key_points": [
    "LS Eco Energy plans to start trial production of samarium metal in December.",
    "Company aims to become world's first mass producer of samarium metal.",
    "Facility in Vietnam will produce 240 tons annually, enough for 700-1,000 tons of SmCo magnets."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Building a production facility in Vietnam allows the company to bypass Chinese raw material dependencies and secure a critical supply chain for the aerospace and defense industries.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}