Dec 10 (Reuters) – USA Rare Earth said on Wednesday it will bring forward commercial production at its rare earths project in Texas to late 2028 from 2030, citing faster-than-expected progress at its processing facilities and rising U.S. demand for critical minerals.
The Round Top deposit in Texas is the largest known U.S. source of heavy rare earth elements, gallium and beryllium. It is majority owned and being developed by USA Rare Earth.
The revised timeline comes as U.S. companies are stepping up their efforts to cut reliance on China for rare metals under the Trump Administration.
The company is developing a comprehensive mine-to-magnet supply chain spanning Texas, Colorado and Oklahoma, positioning itself as one of the few U.S. producers of heavy rare earths such as dysprosium and terbium.
These critical elements are used in high-performance permanent magnets that power defense systems, electric vehicles and industrial machinery.
The decision follows strong results from solvent-extraction piloting at its processing lab in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. A hydrometallurgical demonstration plant is set to start operations at the site in early 2026.
(Reporting by Dharna Bafna in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)
