A Massachusetts-based company plans to build a $375 million rare earth mineral separation facility at Eastman Business Park, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Oct. 20.
The 500,000-square-foot Phoenix Tailings facility will process rare earth materials used in electric vehicles, electronics and defense equipment. Most rare earth separation currently takes place in China.
“I am fully committed to supporting innovative projects and companies that are ready to invest in New York and bring in good-paying jobs,” Hochul said in a statement. “Phoenix Tailings will not only create at least 90 new jobs at Eastman Business Park further supporting our state’s innovation economy, but they will also play a critical role in bolstering our national security by building
a clean supply chain for rare earth elements in New York, reducing reliance on foreign sources of critical minerals.”
At full operation, the separation facility is expected to have more than 200 direct jobs, including the initial 90 jobs.
Phoenix Tailings extracts critical minerals from mining byproducts then separates the rare earth oxides. Those oxides are transformed into pure metals and alloys, creating materials for tech, defense systems, batteries and other uses.
The company operates facilities in Woburn and Burlington, Massachusetts, as well as Exeter, New Hampshire. The new Rochester facility, dubbed Freedom Separation, is expected to be one of the largest rare earth separation operations in the world, producing more than 4,400 tons per year of separated rare earth oxides.
Production is expected to start in 2027 and reach full production by 2028.
“My grandfather, Nicholas Sfikas, started Rochester 100 Inc. just 15 minutes from the site of our new facility. Growing up watching him build his amazing company, and having worked on the factory floor myself, I know firsthand the depth of talent and manufacturing expertise in Rochester,” said Phoenix Tailings CEO and co-founder Nick Myers in a statement.
The new Eastman Business Park facility is part of the company’s broader, $1.2 billion Freedom Project. The project secured a $500 million conditional loan from the Department of Defense’s Office of Strategic Capital.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: $375M rare earth facility planned at Eastman Business Park
