USA Rare Earth has selected Fluor Corp. and WSP Global Inc. as Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management partners to advance the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) for the Round Top Rare Earth Project in Sierra Blanca, Texas. The duo brings combined experience delivering mining and processing projects valued at over $30 billion globally. Under an Accelerated Mine Plan, USAR will complete phase one of the DFS using solvent extraction pilot results from its Wheat Ridge, Colorado facility—covering the scope of a typical Pre-Feasibility Study. Concurrently, a demonstration plant will operate for 2,000 continuous hours, with operations concluding in October 2026 to supply data for the second DFS phase. Confirmatory and geotechnical drilling is scheduled for H1 2026, along with a heap leach optimization study, all supporting a targeted start of heavy rare earth oxide production by late 2028.

Through its subsidiary Less Common Metals (LCM), USA Rare Earth plans to build a metal and alloy production facility in Lacq, France, with capacity to produce 3,750 metric tons annually. The project has secured support from the French government’s C3IV program, including tax credits covering up to 45% of eligible equipment costs, real estate financing totaling $152 million, and a workforce development package to train local talent. Co-located with Caremag’s oxide processing plant—set to begin operations in late 2026—the new facility will form Europe’s first integrated rare-earth processing and metal-making platform, bolstering the transatlantic supply chain and advancing USAR’s goal of a secure, Western-aligned rare earth value chain.