The company said Tennessee officials, including Lt. Gov. Stuart McWhorter, visited Korea Zinc’s Onsan smelter on April 28 and discussed ways to strengthen cooperation. Korea Zinc described the Onsan facility as a model for the planned U.S. project.
Korea Zinc said the visit was arranged to help state officials better understand smelting operations and to discuss additional cooperation needed to keep Project Crucible on track.
McWhorter met with Korea Zinc officials, including Kim Seung-hyeon, vice president and head of the Onsan smelter, to hear about the plant’s technology and its operating approach on environmental management and safety. The two sides also shared the company’s vision for the U.S. integrated smelter, Korea Zinc said.
McWhorter said Project Crucible is expected to have a positive impact on the local economy, including job creation, and could also serve as an important opportunity to strengthen the South Korea-U.S. partnership and bolster supply chains for critical minerals to improve economic security.
During the meeting, the sides discussed administrative procedures, the project schedule and operating plans needed for smooth execution, Korea Zinc said. McWhorter pledged full administrative support going forward, the company said.
In comments to reporters, McWhorter again cited stronger bilateral partnership, economic security and job creation as the project’s core significance, saying it carries added weight because it is being pursued under the leadership of both governments and because stronger critical-mineral supply chains can play a major role in economic security.
Asked about environmental and safety concerns raised in Tennessee, McWhorter said Korea Zinc has decades of smelting technology and operating experience. He also said the company’s silver and copper products use 100% recycled feedstock and received certification last year from global certification body SGS.
McWhorter said Tennessee is working on infrastructure beyond the smelter itself, including power supply, housing for Korean personnel and training programs for local workers. He said the state holds weekly meetings with Korea Zinc and that permits under the Trump administration would allow the project to move quickly, shortening the timeline from construction to commercial operations.
He added that he viewed smooth communication as a major strength in working with Korea Zinc and said he was confident the project would be carried out successfully.
During the tour, Tennessee officials reviewed production processes for base metals such as zinc, lead and copper, as well as critical minerals including indium, Korea Zinc said. At a site slated for a new germanium plant, the officials expressed expectations for expanded cooperation between the two sides, the company said.
McWhorter said he has held ongoing meetings with Chairman Choi Yoon-beom and other executives and again cited Korea Zinc’s communication as a strength. He said the visit broadened his understanding of the smelting industry and increased his expectations for Project Crucible.
He said the state government would look for ways to actively support the project, including securing electricity and helping with administrative procedures, and expressed hope that the effort to build another world-class facility in the United States, like the Onsan smelter, would proceed successfully.
Kim said that if the Onsan smelter — which he described as the world’s only facility capable of producing zinc, lead and copper as well as critical minerals — is replicated in the United States, it could become a catalyst for innovation across the smelting industry. He said the U.S. integrated smelter is planned as a smart smelter applying Onsan’s technology along with artificial intelligence and automation, and he expects the technology to be applied back at Onsan as well, creating synergy.
Project Crucible is set to begin site preparation work this year and aims for completion in 2029, Korea Zinc said. After completion, the facility is expected to produce zinc, lead and copper first, followed by 13 nonferrous metals including 11 types of critical minerals designated by the U.S. government, such as indium and gallium, as well as semiconductor-grade sulfuric acid.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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