Pentagon Awards $29.9 Million to ElementUS for U.S. Gallium, Scandium Demonstration

Overview

• ElementUS will build a demonstration facility in Gramercy, Louisiana to separate and purify gallium and scandium from alumina-processing waste, with initial work at its Critical Resource Accelerator in Cedar Park, Texas.
• The award draws on funds from the Additional Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2022 and aligns with Executive Order 14241 directing increased American mineral production.
• Defense officials cite gallium and scandium as essential for systems including missile defense platforms, sensors, fighter aircraft, and hypersonic weapons, framing the project as a national security priority.
• The company plans to recover minerals from more than 30 million tons of bauxite residue, aiming to create domestic supply without new mining, though production volumes and timing have not been disclosed.
• The grant is one of 18 fiscal 2025 DPA Purchases Office awards totaling $887 million with $88 million in recipient cost share, overseen by the MCEIP directorate.