War Department commits $25M to ReElement – Metal Tech News
War Department commits $25M to ReElement
Metal Tech News – July 13, 2026
Share
ReElement Technologies Corp.
The Pentagon’s $25 million investment will expand ReElement’s Marion production lines for recycled magnets and other critical mineral feedstocks
Funding will expand the recovery of high-purity rare earths, yttrium, germanium, and gallium for advanced defense systems
Expanding federal support for domestic critical mineral refining, the U.S. Department of War is investing $25 million to scale defense critical minerals refining at ReElement Technologies Corp.’s Marion, Indiana, facility
Built around a special refining system adapted from pharmaceutical manufacturing, ReElement has developed a modular platform designed to separate and purify critical minerals from mined ore, recycled magnets, manufacturing waste, and other feedstocks
Housed at a renovated industrial campus in Marion, the company’s primary refining hub uses patented methods that consistently achieve rare earth oxide purities of 99.5% or higher
Among the elements separated through the platform are neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium, terbium, and samarium – rare earths used in the permanent magnets that support aircraft, nuclear-powered submarines, missiles, electric vehicles, autonomous systems, satellites, and other advanced technologies
Their role in defense applications has made domestic access to those rare earths a priority for the Department of War, which is working to establish domestic and allied supply chains ahead of restrictions that will prohibit defense contractors from sourcing magnets and the metals behind them from China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea
That alignment between ReElement’s refining capabilities and the department’s supply-chain priorities has drawn an $80 million conditional loan commitment from the Department of War’s Office of Strategic Capital, alongside a separate $200 million commitment from Transition Equity Partners to expand the company’s critical minerals operations domestically and internationally
Earlier this year, the Pentagon added a two-year, $2 million investment through its Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program to advance rare earth separation and purification capabilities at Marion
Now, through the latest agreement, the department will fund equipment, installation, and working capital needed to expand ReElement’s production lines
Executed by the Department of War’s Economic Defense Unit in partnership with the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, the investment will be financed through the Industrial Base Fund administered by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy
The expanded lines will focus on processing end-of-life magnets and other recycled materials into high-purity rare earth oxides, yttrium, gadolinium, germanium, and gallium for advanced defense 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 Assistant Secretary of War for Industrial Base Policy Michael Cadenazzi
Beyond funding the expansion, the agreement includes restrictions on transactions with foreign entities of concern and other safeguards intended to protect U.S. interests
“Critical minerals are fundamental to sustaining our warfighting capacity,” said Economic Defense Unit Director George Kollitides. “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.”
You might be interested in:
Most Popular
GreenMet leads W. Virginia rare earths hub
Shane Lasley | Jul 6, 2026
DOE taps coal waste for critical minerals
Shane Lasley | Jul 6, 2026
Caterpillar adds Skycatch to mining tech stack
Shane Lasley | Jul 7, 2026
REalloys targets rare earth magnet gap
A.J. Roan | Jul 8, 2026
Rendered 07/14/2026 00:51
