[Reportage] US looks to Korean experience to ease its critical mineral reliance on China

In an area near Nashville, Tennessee, a zinc smelter named Crucible Zinc now stands, renamed by its new Korean owner following a unique partnership between a Korean company and the US government. The smelter, which has been operational for 48 years, benefits from low industrial power costs and an abundant water supply. Each day, around 600 tons of zinc concentrate travel on overhead conveyor belts, with the concentrate originating from nearby US mines and imports from abroad.

The new 660,000 square meter plant, located near the existing facility, will measure approximately 1.49 million square meters combined. Construction is set to begin soon, with completion expected by 2030. The site contains five large settling basins, or ponds, which hold significant quantities of critical minerals such as iron, zinc, lead, germanium, gallium, silver, and copper. These minerals are essential for advanced US industries.

The previous owners lacked the technology to separate and recover valuable metals from smelting byproducts. Korea Zinc plans to utilize existing technology to recycle tailings and recover additional valuable metals. The company aims to produce 12 nonferrous metals, including germanium and gallium, which are crucial for defense equipment, semiconductors, and advanced industries. Currently, the US is a net importer of zinc, meeting only about 30% of its demand, and imports germanium and gallium from China.