$1.4 Million State Grant Supports Work At Burlington Facility

BURLINGTON, MA — The state has granted $1.4 million to Woburn-based Phoenix Tailings, a company that has developed technologies to more sustainably mine rare earth metals through a zero-waste approach, according to a statement from Gov. Maura Healey.

The state investment will support a Burlington facility and grow workforce development opportunities in the mining and metals sectors.

The project, funded by the Massachusetts Manufacturing Innovation Initiative at the Center for Advanced Manufacturing, will support Phoenix Tailings’ novel approach to metal production, which utilizes highly efficient and carbon-neutral processes to create additional value from rare earth metals, such as neodymium and dysprosium.

These metals are essential to many critical technologies including electric vehicles, wind turbines, nuclear reactors, and jet engines, according to the statement.

The United States currently depends on China for nearly 97 percent of rare earth metal production, which jeopardizes supply chains for key technologies. The federal government has designated rare earth metal supply chains as strategic national security priorities and stressed the importance of encouraging domestic production.

“This grant shows Massachusetts’ commitment to transformative innovation as a cornerstone of our economy,” Nick Myers, Phoenix Tailings co-founder and CEO, said in a statement. “As Phoenix Tailings leads the revolution in sustainable mining and metals production, we're committed to working with our state government, world-class universities, and partners to create jobs and decarbonize the economy.”