U.S. Metal Refiners Add Capacity to Process Rare-Earths

---

Written by Will Ploch, Assistant Editor-in-Chief for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

---

Summary

The growing uses of industrial-strength magnets and combustible chemicals are driving demand for metal smelting and refining capacity across the U.S., with billions of dollars' worth of investment set to be realized in the coming quarter.

---

Rare Earths Offer 'Magnetic' Appeal

Refining technology is developing to address the expanding use of rare-earth minerals, such as those used in the production of heavy-duty magnets. Industrial Info Resources is tracking nearly $3 billion worth of projects at U.S. metal-refining facilities that are set to kick off in the fourth quarter, more than $2 billion of which is attributed to grassroot projects.

According to Industrial Info Resources data, the highest-valued project of those set to begin construction before the end of the year, USA Rare Earth's magnet-manufacturing and refined metals plant in Blacksburg, South Carolina, is scheduled to begin construction soon. It is designed to smelt neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) and other materials to produce the strongest rare-earth magnets available on the commercial market.

In the company's most recent earnings-related conference call, Barbara Humpton, the chief executive officer of USA Rare Earth, said the company had "already broken ground and ordered long lead time equipment" for the Blacksburg project, which she said could be operational in early 2028: "We'll have 5,000 metric tons of metal making and 6,400 metric tons of magnet making at that facility."

Industrial Info Resources offers more information on the Blacksburg project in its Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Metals & Minerals Plant and Project databases, where readers can find details--including construction schedules, investment values and necessary equipment--in a plant profile and project report.

The Blacksburg project joins USA Rare Earth's magnet-manufacturing plant in Stillwater, Oklahoma, which started construction in late 2024 and is expected to wrap up before the end of 2026. Rob Steele, chief financial officer, said in the earnings call that the company expects the Stillwater plant to have 600 metric tons of run-rate capacity by year-end, which then will double by the end of first-quarter 2027. Readers can learn more from a detailed plant profile and project report.

USA Rare Earth's developments are good news for the domestic rare-earth magnet-manufacturing sector, which has struggled to get off the ground. Some U.S.-based players have been turning to East Asia for business. For more information, see Industrial Info Resources' July 15, 2026, article - Slow Market for U.S. Rare-Earth Magnets Sends Players Abroad.

By the Numbers

• Nearly $3 billion: Total investment value of projects at U.S. smelting facilities set to kick off in the fourth quarter
• More than $2 billion: Total investment attributed to grassroot projects
• 500 tons: Equipment recently sent to Alaska to support Nova's Antimony Refinery in Wasilla

North to Alaska for Antimony

Other high-value grassroot projects set for fourth-quarter kickoffs include Nova Minerals Limited's Antimony Refinery in Wasilla, Alaska. The facility is designed to process stibnite, which is a soft sulfide mineral, into antimony trisulfide, a combustible chemical compound used in safety matches, ammunition and other products. In October 2025, the project was awarded $43.4 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Defense, under Defense Production Act Title III.

Earlier this month, Nova announced 500 tons of equipment had arrived in Point MacKenzie, Alaska, to enable construction. The company said the project would help "to establish a fully secured and integrated domestic supply chain for antimony." Readers can learn more from a detailed plant profile and project report.

One major mining project already under construction could see work begin on an onsite smelting facility in the fourth quarter: NioCorp Developments Limited's rare-earth mine in Elk Creek, Nebraska, which is designed to process mined ores into ferroniobium metal. Construction on the niobium-scandium-titanium mine started recently and is expected to run into 2029. Readers can learn more from a plant profile and detailed reports on the mine and smelter.

The Industrial Info Resources GMI Project and Plant databases offer a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and a full list of related plant profiles.

Industrial Info Resources also offers a full list of reports for projects at U.S. smelting facilities that are set to kick off in the fourth quarter.

Key Takeaways

• Metal-refining technology is developing to address the expanding use of rare-earth minerals.
• One project slated to kick off in the fourth quarter could produce the strongest rare-earth magnets on the commercial market.
• Despite these developments, the domestic rare-earth magnet-manufacturing sector has struggled to get off the ground.

---

About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news, and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing, and energy-related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified, and verified plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 trillion (USD).