Korea Zinc Secures Environmental Clearance for $7.4 B Tennessee Metals Refinery

Korea Zinc, the world’s largest refined zinc smelter, reported that its $7.4 billion U.S. manufacturing venture, known as Project Crucible, has cleared an environmental impact assessment. The refinery, to be built in Clarksville, Tennessee, is scheduled for test runs in 2029 with full commercial production of a suite of core minerals, non-ferrous metals and semiconductor-grade sulfuric acid beginning the year after. This marks the first FAST-41 project approved by the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, a status that the company says will accelerate critical-infrastructure development.

Governor Bill Lee highlighted that the FAST-41 designation will improve governmental efficiency and help avoid unnecessary delays. The project follows a memorandum of understanding signed with Tennessee in May, and builds on Korea Zinc’s earlier acquisition of a local zinc smelter and related assets.