Energy Fuels (NYSE:UUUU) has successfully produced its first kilogram of terbium oxide at 99.9% purity, marking what the company describes as the first primary production of the heavy rare earth material in the United States in decades.
The milestone, achieved at the White Mesa Mill in Utah, utilized U.S. monazite feedstock and follows the recent production of approximately 30 kilograms of dysprosium oxide at similar purity levels.
The achievement validates the company's pilot-scale capabilities, with current terbium production maintaining a rate of approximately one kilogram per week.
Both terbium and dysprosium are essential components in the manufacturing of high-strength permanent magnets used in electric vehicle motors, wind turbines, and advanced defense systems—a market currently dominated by Chinese supply.
Looking ahead, Energy Fuels is moving toward full-scale commercialization.
The company plans to install a commercial circuit by 2027, pending regulatory approvals and steady feedstock supply.
This initial phase targets an annual output of up to 35 tonnes of dysprosium and 12 tonnes of terbium, alongside 850 to 1,000 tonnes of neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) oxide.
A second, more ambitious expansion phase is envisioned for 2029.
Under this Phase 2 circuit, the company aims to significantly scale its processing capacity to reach more than 6,000 tonnes per annum of NdPr, approximately 80 tonnes of terbium, and 288 tonnes of dysprosium.