Energy Fuels Inc. (NYSE American: UUUU) (TSX: EFR) has commenced the expansion of its White Mesa Mill in Utah to enable commercial-scale production of heavy rare earth oxides. The project, estimated at approximately $104 million, is designed to add capacity for producing terbium, dysprosium, samarium, europium and gadolinium oxides by the end of 2028. This expansion complements the mill’s existing light rare earth oxide production and is a key step in the company’s strategy to build a fully integrated Western mine-to-magnet supply chain.
The expanded facility is expected to support production of rare earth metals, alloys and magnets for sectors including automotive, robotics, data centers, energy and defense. Energy Fuels said the project will strengthen North American and European supply chains for critical materials. The company plans to fund the expansion through a combination of government support and company capital, with commercial production tied to anticipated monazite feedstock from the Donald Project in Australia and other sources.
Energy Fuels noted that the expanded mill is expected to supply a significant portion of the rare earth oxides needed by its pending acquisitions of Australian Strategic Materials Ltd. (ASX: ASM) and Vacuumschmelze GmbH. These acquisitions support an integrated mine-to-magnet platform capable of producing enough permanent magnets annually for millions of electric vehicles, humanoid robots and other advanced technologies. For more details, see the full press release at https://ibn.fm/S04FF.
Energy Fuels is a leading U.S. critical materials company specializing in uranium, rare earth elements, heavy mineral sands, vanadium, and the development of medical isotopes. The company owns the only fully licensed conventional uranium mill operating in the U.S. – the White Mesa Mill in Utah – where it also produces rare earth element products and evaluates medical isotope recovery for emerging cancer therapies. Additionally, Energy Fuels is developing three heavy mineral sands/rare earths projects: the Vara Mada Project in Madagascar, Bahia Project in Brazil, and Donald Project in Australia (through a joint venture with Astron Limited). The company’s shares trade on the NYSE American and TSX under the symbol UUUU and EFR, respectively. More information is available in the company’s newsroom at http://ibn.fm/UUUU.
The expansion of the White Mesa Mill represents a significant step toward reducing Western dependence on Chinese rare earth processing. By enabling domestic production of heavy rare earth oxides critical for advanced technologies, Energy Fuels is positioning itself as a key player in the strategic minerals supply chain. The project’s success could have broad implications for national security and the competitiveness of Western manufacturing in high-tech industries.
