The US Army has awarded contracts to build and operate critical mineral processing facilities on military installations, aiming to reduce reliance on foreign supplies for materials used in defense systems.
The agreements establish plants at Anniston Army Depot in Alabama, Pine Bluff Arsenal in Arkansas, Red River Army Depot in Texas, and Tooele Army Depot in Utah.
Under the projects, New York-based Titan Mining will process graphite, while EnergyX in Texas will refine lithium.
Simultaneously, Australian company Ioneer will process boron, with Florida-based REalloys to work on the rare earth elements dysprosium and terbium.
The activities, part of the US Army’s Strategic Capital Initiatives program, mark the first time commercial mineral processing centers will operate on US military installations.
“The ability to process critical minerals on US soil is a national-defense priority required for munitions, missiles, sensors, batteries, and the platforms our Soldiers depend on,” said Dr. Jeff Waksman, principal deputy assistant secretary for installations, energy, and environment in the US Army.
Under Leasing Agreements, Operations by 2028
The military specified that the companies will “finance, build, and operate” the facilities under Enhanced Use Lease agreements, while the force retains ownership of the land.
Instead of traditional rent, the firms will provide infrastructure improvements and a share of processed mineral output to the army.
Development could begin in 2027, with initial operations targeted by 2028, pending environmental reviews and final lease agreements.
The consortium is expected to invest about $2 billion throughout the projects, according to The Wall Street Journal.
“This is proving the Secretary of the Army’s theory that we can operate in a different way that benefits both the Army and industry — as well as gets the Army the things that it needs critically on a timeline that would have been unthinkable 18 months ago,” Deputy Under Secretary of the Army David Fitzgerald stated.
