Phoenix Tailings to build $375M rare earth plant in New York

Phoenix Tailings announced Tuesday that it will build a $375-million commercial-scale rare earths processing facility in Rochester, New York, as the United States seeks to reduce China's dominance in critical minerals.

The plant, called Freedom Separation, will process more than 18,000 tons of mined and recycled rare earth feedstock annually, producing over 4,400 tons per year of separated rare earth oxides at full capacity. Production is expected to ramp up in 2027 before reaching full capacity in 2028.

Phoenix Tailings selected Eastman Business Park in Rochester for the 500,000-square-foot facility, citing its existing industrial infrastructure and local expertise in engineering, manufacturing, chemical processing and operations.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the state will provide $3 million in performance-based tax credits for the project, Reuters reported.

The Rochester facility forms part of Phoenix Tailings' $1.2-billion Freedom project, a separation and metallization platform designed to close the gap in US midstream rare earth processing capacity.