A majority of the discussion, policy, and investment in the clean energy transition has been focused on renewable energy generation, storage, mobility, financing, consumer adoption, and related challenges. The underlying supply chain and enabling infrastructure needed to support this transition, given its scale, is less well understood, and underappreciated. The growing electrification of the global energy system, both in terms of generation, and final consumption relies on a commensurate growth in the supply of highly efficient electric motors and generators. High quality magnets are an essential component of both of these electrical devices. At present, China accounts for 87% of global permanent magnet production. Consequently, the global magnet supply chain, especially after COVID, is a source of significant risk for turbine manufacturers, electric vehicle OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), and the like, especially in the western world.

Solution

Vacuumschmelze (VAC) is an advanced magnetic materials and solutions company with a 100-year operating history. The company manufactures a variety of different products that play a key role in end markets driven by the energy transition including EVs, industrial efficiency, alternative energy, and electric flight through its soft magnet and permanent magnet segments. The company currently is the only Western manufacturer of significant scale producing permanent magnets, which is a mission-critical component that goes into EV motors, so they are uniquely positioned to serve as a key supplier for this high-value segment of the global magnetic materials market.

VAC has two operating segments: Hard Magnets (permanent magnets) and Soft Magnets (Temporary Magnets). The most common type of permanent magnets VAC produces are sintered NdFeB magnets and their associated assemblies. NdFeB sintered magnets are used in EV car motors to generate propulsion (rather than an internal combustion engine) and have the highest levels of magnetism of any known magnet. VAC also serves several market segments such as wind and solar energy, advanced manufacturing, and aerospace, in which it enjoys a large market share because of the superior performance, high customization, and advanced technology characteristics of its products.

Why We Invested

Almost all of VAC’s segments have differentiated products critical to the energy transition. Key end markets within the energy transition are expected to grow at double-digit CAGRs over the next five years. VAC has longstanding secure partnerships with many blue chip customers, which tend to be sticky on account of high switching costs, and the company’s customers have consistently demonstrated strong willingness to pay. VAC’s management team has extensive industry knowledge, each member of the management team brings 15+ years of relevant industry experience. The company’s R&D pipeline - supported by a demonstrated track record - generates innovative products with attractive, durable markets and opportunities for higher margins. Western auto OEMs are projected to drive demand for an additional 25,000 tons of permanent magnets per year by 2030, which VAC is well positioned to serve. At present, there are only three players in the advanced magnetics space that can take advantage of this massive opportunity and VAC is the only producer in North America or Europe and VAC is the only one who has signed an offtake contract with a Western OEM, General Motors. VAC is in the process of building a new North American facility to supply under this contract, which is likely to meaningfully scale the company’s operations, allowing it to play a greater role in supporting the energy transition.

Impact

The company manufactures key products that are considered foundational components that go into EV motors as well as EV charging infrastructure. OEMs desperately need these components in order to meet the transportation sector’s goal of electrifying mobility. The transportation sector accounted for 27% of the US CO2 emissions in 2020, according to the EPA. As more electric vehicles are sold they will displace polluting internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. The greenhouse gas emissions associated with an electric vehicle over its lifetime are typically lower than those from an average gasoline-powered vehicle, even when accounting for manufacturing and mining of rare minerals.The International Energy Agency estimates that the lifecycle GHG emissions for a mid-size EV is ~53% lower than for gasoline-powered cars. VAC’s soft magnet products, such as closed loop sensors and common mode chokes, are mission critical components that are necessary for the continued rollout of solar energy. VAC’s permanent magnets are also a core component of wind turbines, where they are used in gearbox technology for offshore wind turbines and in direct drives for onshore wind turbines. By delivering more of these products to customers, the company will enable more solar and wind energy projects to come online, which ultimately will help decarbonize the grid by displacing GHG intensive fossil fuel-based energy generation.