Each offshore wind turbine contains several hundred kilograms of powerful permanent magnets, essential for generating electricity efficiently without the need for a mechanical gear system. These magnets rely on two rare earth metals—neodymium and dysprosium—elements that France currently lacks the processing capability to handle. As a result, France imports all refined forms of these metals, which are primarily sourced from China. This reliance has been largely unchanged since the 1980s, when China established a near-monopoly on the refining process, while other industrialized nations focused on other priorities. The magnets are used in direct-drive wind turbines, a design preferred for offshore installations where maintenance is difficult and expensive. Unlike traditional turbines that use a mechanical multiplier to increase rotational speed, direct-drive turbines use a rotor equipped with super-powerful permanent magnets. This design improves energy conversion efficiency, reduces weight, and minimizes the need for maintenance. These magnets are made from neodymium, which provides the strength of the magnetic field, and dysprosium, which helps maintain the magnet’s performance at high temperatures. Some manufacturers have made progress in reducing their reliance on dysprosium, with some models now using less than 1% of it. Despite the growing importance of rare earths in modern technology, the name can be misleading. Rare earths refer to a group of 17 metallic elements with similar chemical properties, and while they are not rare in the Earth's crust, they are not found in economically viable concentrations everywhere. Extracting and refining these metals is a complex and costly process that requires advanced metallurgical expertise. This has allowed China to dominate the global supply chain, particularly in the refining stage, which is the most technically challenging and environmentally demanding. France, for example, has no active mines or refining plants for rare earths, despite having scientific knowledge in the field for decades. However, Europe is beginning to change this dynamic. In the southwest of France, a new rare earth recycling and refining plant is under construction in Lacq, backed by 216 million euros in funding from the French government and Japanese partners. The facility, named Caremag, aims to become a key European hub for processing rare earths, focusing on recycling used magnets and refining imported mineral concentrates. Similar initiatives are also emerging in Germany and across Europe, with projects like SUPREEMO working to establish a sustainable, continent-wide supply chain for rare earths. While some manufacturers, like the German firm Enercon, have chosen to avoid rare earths altogether, the broader goal remains clear: to reduce dependence on a single supplier for a critical component of the global energy transition.