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<\/a><\/p>\nPublished On 8 Aug 20268 Aug 2026<\/p>\n
The United States Department of Defense has announced a $400m conditional loan commitment to an Australian company to build the world\u2019s first primary mine for scandium, a critical rare earth element whose market is dominated by China.<\/p>\n
After a meeting between US President Donald Trump and mining executives in Washington, the Pentagon said in a statement<\/a> on Friday that the project would \u201censure Western alignment from mine to finished product\u201d.<\/p>\n Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list<\/p>\n Australian mining firm Sunrise Energy Metals said in a separate statement<\/a> that the proposed mine in Fifield, New South Wales, would aim to become \u201ca cornerstone of Western scandium supply\u201d.<\/p>\n According<\/a> to the company\u2019s website, the \u201cSyerston Scandium Project\u201d will provide a \u201ccritical metal for critical technologies\u201d, including aerospace and 5G\/6G telecommunications technology.<\/p>\n Scandium \u2014 a rare earth needed for defence, planes and data centres \u2014 is usually sourced as a byproduct of other mining. It is valued for being one of the most effective elements to strengthen aluminium while also being flexible and resistant to heat and corrosion.<\/p>\n New South Wales has some of the highest concentrations of scandium globally. China, which dominates the supply and processing of scandium, restricted its exports<\/a> for defence products last year, triggering the US\u2019s search for new suppliers.<\/p>\n