Project to advance American mineral production
BEULAH, N.D. – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) joined Talon Metals leadership to celebrate securing a former Westmoreland Mining site where the company will develop its Beulah Minerals Processing Facility (BMPF). This facility is slated to be the world’s most advanced nickel and copper minerals processing facility.
The BMPF will process nickel and copper, utilizing nickel ore from a Talon mine in Minnesota and the fly ash byproduct of Mercer County coal-fired power stations. The nickel concentrate processed at the Beulah facility will be used in cathodes for EV batteries, and the fly ash will help chemically neutralize and harden the tailings. The nickel concentrate and other byproducts, including cobalt and iron, from the Beulah facility will be used by Tesla for its EV batteries.
Cramer, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) and Armed Services Committees, delivered remarks at the signing ceremony today in Beulah.
“You could not over exaggerate the significance of today, or the significance of what's about to happen at the Westmoreland site,” said Cramer. “Its contribution to economic opportunity will be significant to national security, global security, and domestic supply chain development. I can hardly wait to see what happens next.”
In 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) awarded nearly $115 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to Talon Metals for the construction of this facility, and Talon will provide a recipient cost share of nearly $320 million. This project includes workforce training in Mercer County and will offer employment opportunities to nearby communities and tribal members. The U.S. Department of Defense also awarded Talon over $20 million in Defense Production Act funding to increase exploration and development of domestic nickel.
Cramer is a longtime advocate for domestic critical minerals production, stressing the superiority of American labor and environmental standards and the importance of strategically decoupling supply chains from adversaries like China. He co-led a bipartisan letter with U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) to express their concerns regarding a potential critical mineral free trade agreement with Indonesia for the procurement of nickel. In 2022, Cramer also wrote a letter of support on behalf of Talon’s application to then-DOE Secretary Jennifer Granholm.