US invests $25 mn in critical minerals

Washington, July 14 (IANS) The US Department of War has announced a $25 million investment in ReElement Technologies Corp. to expand domestic refining capacity for rare earth elements and other defence-critical minerals, in a move aimed at strengthening the country’s industrial base and reducing dependence on overseas supply chains.

The investment, announced on Monday by the Department’s Economic Defence Unit (EDU), in partnership with the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment (OUSW(A&S)), will support the expansion of ReElement’s refining operations at its Marion, Indiana, facility.

The funding will help increase US production of materials considered essential for advanced defence systems, aerospace components and secure communications.

“Strengthening our domestic refining capacity for rare earth elements and other critical minerals is a national security imperative,” said Michael Cadenazzi, Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy.

“Executed by the Economic Defence Unit (EDU) and financed by the OASW(IBP) Industrial Base Fund, this investment actively rebuilds a domestic, mine-to-magnet supply chain. This effort guarantees the joint force has reliable access to the critical materials required for advanced defence systems,” he said.

According to the Department of War, the funding will cover equipment, installation and working capital needed to expand ReElement’s production lines.

The company will focus on processing end-of-life magnets and other recycled materials to produce high-purity rare earth oxides, yttrium, gadolinium, germanium and gallium, all of which are used in advanced defence and high-technology applications.

The Department said the project demonstrates the partnership between the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment and the Economic Defence Unit.

It said that the ability to identify industrial bottlenecks and apply commercial-sector best practices allows the government to execute agreements quickly and strengthen national security and military capabilities.

“Critical minerals are fundamental to sustaining our warfighting capacity,” said George K. Kollitides II, Director of the Economic Defence Unit.

“The Economic Defence Unit was created to act quickly and decisively to address economic vulnerabilities and strengthen our military advantage. This agreement helps secure domestic capacity, protect the industrial base behind the warfighter, and ensure the United States has reliable access to the materials that make deterrence credible and military advantage possible,” he said.

The Department said the agreement contains safeguards designed to protect US interests, including restrictions on transactions involving foreign entities of concern.

It described the investment as part of a performance-driven approach that combines targeted government support with private-sector execution to accelerate the development of critical industrial capabilities.

Rare earth elements and other critical minerals are indispensable for modern defence technologies, including precision-guided weapons, fighter aircraft, naval platforms, radar systems, satellites and advanced communications equipment. They are also widely used in electric vehicles, renewable energy systems and consumer electronics, making them strategically important beyond the defence sector.

–IANS

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