Metallium Ltd. (ASX: MTM, OTCQX: MTMCF) is getting closer to launching its innovative metal processing campus in Chambers County, Texas, with the first commercial Flash Joule Heating (FJH) line scheduled to begin commissioning in December 2025. The new twist: the addition of a second demonstration line, specifically tailored to handle rare earth element (REE) and semiconductor feedstocks, at exactly the moment when supply chains have rarely looked so fragile.
This move comes against a backdrop of sharply tightening global controls. China, the dominant supplier and refiner of rare earths, introduced new restrictions this month on the export of REE technologies and several related elements, an escalation that means defense, chip, and advanced green-tech manufacturers now contend with even more uncertainty sourcing essential input materials. For Metallium, the timing could not be more decisive. According to Michael Walshe, the company’s Managing Director and CEO, current trade tensions have exposed just how reliant the West remains on Chinese rare earths, making any secure, scalable alternative not just valuable, but urgent.
The company’s patented FHJ platform, which originated at Rice University and remains exclusive to Metallium Ltd. except in lithium, is designed to extract high-value and critical metals from a wide range of materials, including e-waste, magnet scrap, mine tailings, and mineral concentrates. By rapidly heating feedstock to thousands of degrees and separating valuable metals in milliseconds, the technology eliminates many of the lengthy, chemical-dependent steps in traditional processing. Metallium’s Texas facility reflects that ethos, featuring a fivefold scale-up from its initial design: from handling just 360 tonnes per annum (tpa) to a new capacity of 8,000 tpa of printed circuit board (PCB) feedstock, which equates to roughly 1,600 tpa of metal-rich material after extracting plastics.
This capacity expansion isn’t just impressive on paper. Civil and electrical upgrades at the site are reportedly on pace, with environmental scrubber systems now being installed. All major operational systems have been ordered, suggesting the project remains exactly on schedule for its December 2025 commissioning and subsequent ramp-up through early 2026.
The second demonstration line, with a 350 tpa maximum target for Stage 1, is configured for specialty feedstocks, such as REE tailings, refinery residues, and semiconductor materials containing gallium and germanium. This addition is set to enable Metallium and its partners to showcase their ability to offer a domestic, non-Chinese refining path for these metals. This capability feels especially relevant, considering China mines more than 60% of the world’s rare earths and processes over 80%, with 90% of high-performance rare earth magnets made there.
That dominance has deeper strategic consequences. Recent Chinese actions, like adding elements to export control lists and requiring licensing for REE-related shipments, have even led to temporary production halts among automotive manufacturers globally. It’s not just about defense, semiconductors, clean energy, and telecommunications all run on materials whose sources have become global bargaining chips. Industry analysts expect these disruptions to persist, given the increased scrutiny and longer approval times facing Western importers even after ongoing U.S.–China trade negotiations.
Metallium’s facility will recycle high-value metals such as gold, silver, copper, tin, antimony, and palladium, which are currently trading near record highs. The project aims to offer a domestic, non-Chinese pathway for materials like rare earths, gallium, and germanium, positioning the company as a key player in what could become a truly resilient American and allied metals supply ecosystem.
By employing the rapid, flexible Flash Joule Heating process, Metallium brings a level of modularity and geographic flexibility that few traditional methods can match. Unlike conventional solvent extraction, which often involves hundreds of chemical steps, huge volumes of toxic substances, and massive upfront investments, FHJ is designed to be more sustainable and deployment-friendly. The environmental impact is mostly limited to power requirements, with the potential to drastically reduce waste and capital demands.
Metallium Ltd., through its wholly owned U.S. subsidiary Flash Metals USA Inc., has locked in its Texas site and continues advancing core infrastructure meant to scale quickly from 8,000 to 16,000 tpa PCB feed simply by adding new modules. If commissioning and demonstration go as planned, the company could soon provide American and allied industries a credible solution to the long-standing rare earths supply chain dependence problem, challenging rivals to rethink what modern metal recovery and recycling should look like.
