ElementUSA will invest $850 million to build a rare earth and critical minerals refining facility in St. James Parish, a project aimed at strengthening domestic supply chains for materials used in advanced manufacturing, defense and energy technologies, Louisiana Economic Development announced Mond ay.  The Gramercy-based facility is expected to create 200 direct jobs with an average annual salary of $90,000. ElementUSA plans to use proprietary extraction processes to recover gallium, scandium, iron and other critical minerals from bauxite residue, a byproduct of alumina refining.  The project includes construction of a demonstration facility, supported by a $29.9 million federal grant, to validate the technology ahead of a future commercial-scale operation. Construction is expected to begin in mid-2027, with initial production targeted for the third quarter of 2028. State incentives offered to secure the project include workforce training through LED FastStart and a $6 million infrastructure grant, positioning the project as a significant industrial expansion for St. James Parish and Louisiana’s growing advanced manufacturing sector. Read the full announcement. ...read more read less