Ucore Rare Metals Inc. has secured a US$4.6 million modification to its existing Other Transaction Agreement with the U.S. Department of War, lifting total grant funding under the arrangement to US$27.0 million.

The agreement change expands Phase 2 of Ucore’s Rare Earth Separation Technology Capabilities Prototype Project from US$18.4 million to US$23.0 million, building on an initial US$4.0 million Phase 1 award. The capital directly funds process development for samarium and gadolinium in Kingston and supports the deployment of Enhanced Machine A at Ucore’s planned Louisiana Strategic Metals Complex in Alexandria.

The additional award follows earlier federal funding that backed the design and construction of the facility's first commercial RapidSX™ machine. Ucore advanced the project further by completing its contactor scale-up program following more than 400 optimization tests, alongside closing a public offering to fund development at the Louisiana Strategic Metals Complex.

“We are seeing heightened interest from Washington in the role Ucore can play in securing critical rare earth supplies,” stated Pat Ryan, P.Eng., Chairman and CEO of Ucore. “We have optimized our commercial equipment configurations, strengthened our financial position, and now secured additional DoW funding for an expanded program. The dots are connecting around a clear national need: the ability to separate the materials that U.S. defense and industrial supply chains depend on.”

— Pat Ryan, Chairman and CEO

The expanded program targets supply-chain gaps for samarium and gadolinium, which are essential for high-temperature magnets, electronics, coatings, and nuclear applications. Ucore is deploying separation capabilities to divide mixed rare earth feedstocks into salable individual rare earth oxide products as sourcing and defense procurement requirements tighten, positioning the company to meet growing domestic industrial demand.

Read the full announcement: Ucore Secures Additional US$4.6 Million from U.S. Department of War to Advance Samarium and Gadolinium Refining