GREECE, N.Y. — A rare earth mineral separation facility will be coming to the Rochester area.
Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Office announced Tuesday Phoenix Tailings, a Massachusetts-based company, has picked the Eastman Business Park to build the $375 million commercial scale facility.
The 500,000-square-foot facility will process rare earth materials used in products such as electric vehicles, electronics, and defense equipment. When fully operational, Hochul’s Office says the facility is expected to separate about 18,000 tons of rare earth material each year.
Phoenix Tailings has developed environmentally friendly processes to recover rare earth metals from mining waste and other industrial sources, Hochul’s Office says.
Her office added that the company separates and processes these materials into metals used to make powerful magnets, enabling technology to become faster, smaller, stronger and more energy efficient.
According to Hochul’s Office, rare earth minerals are in high demand because of their use in many everyday products and advanced technologies. Her office also added that China currently processes about 90% of the world’s rare earth minerals.
Phoenix Tailings is expected to start some operations at Eastman Business Park in 2027, with full production expected in 2028.
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