$75 million processing plant for rare earth elements coming to Alexandria

Alexandria will be home to the first rare earths extraction and purification plant in North America, a $75 million investment at England Airpark that's projected to create 100 direct "family wage-paying" jobs and almost 300 indirect ones.

The Ucore North America plant will be in an existing 80,800 square-foot building at the airpark and should begin later this year. The company estimates it should start operating in early 2025 and "anticipates it will be able to process 7,500 metric tons per year of rare earth oxides at the site by 2027," reads a news release.

Rare earth elements comprise 17 metallic elements, and once processed, they can be used in electric vehicle motors, wind turbine generators and other consumer goods like smartphones, televisions and power tools.

In a release, Ucore said the plan will "bolster Central Louisiana's role in the electric vehicle supply chain."

The England Authority board of directors is expected to approve a lease for the plant later this month, said Executive Director Ralph Hennessy, who called the announcement "a momentous occasion."

The processing center will handle rare earth element oxides from "U.S.-friendly sources all over the world," said Michael Schrider, Ucore's vice president and chief operating officer.

He said the company has worked with rare earth elements since about 2007, when it researched and developed a rare earth deposit in southeast Alaska. It wants to develop the site into a heavy rare earth mine, but it needed a way to process those elements.

Schrider said there's no such commercial site in North America at the moment. More than 90% of processing now happens in China, "and China dominates the rare earth industry," he said.

He also said that's "not a negative," but China has done a "much better job of planning their future than we have.

"And Ucore is trying to change that narrative by focusing on the processing of rare earth elements and, fortunately, with this process over the last year, we're gonna start that process right here in Alexandria, Louisiana."

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Jim Clinton, president and chief executive officer of Louisiana Central, said Alexandria's selection started more than a year ago with a deep-sea fishing trip where Schrider met Hammond Rep. Nicholas Muscarello Jr.

Schrider mentioned the project and how the company would like to locate somewhere in the south. Muscarello connected Schrider to the Louisiana Economic Development and told them they weren't under any pressure to put the project anywhere in particular.

Muscarello just said somewhere in Louisiana, said Clinton, who called his actions unselfish and generous.

Alexandria survived a search that began with the Gulf Coast region, then to 20 sites within Louisiana, down to 10 and then to two.

Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy was supposed to attend the announcement, but he was sick. In a release accompanying the announcement, Roy said it was exciting news. He also said the city looks forward to what it could mean for the region's development.

"In addition to the creation of 100 new jobs, we are increasing our part of the energy diversification supply chain, and we are betting that other companies in the sector will follow them here," he said.

The city will provide the processing center with water and gas, said Rick Ranson, the city's director of economic development who spoke on behalf of Roy.

And he said the city would make sure the company is successful and offered his assistance.

"Thank you again for coming. It's a great day for the area with more to come because we're gonna go after your suppliers, both sides, up and down," said Ranson.

This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Alexandria lands $75 million rare earth elements processing plant