Korea Zinc launches $6.6B ‘Project Crucible’ refinery project in Montgomery County | PHOTOS

CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Local and state leaders joined executives from South Korea at the DoubleTree by Hilton Clarksville Riverview on Wednesday to mark the beginning of Project Crucible, a major industrial project expected to bring new industry, jobs and billions of dollars in investment to Montgomery County.

The project is led by Korea Zinc, which plans to build a $6.6 billion integrated non-ferrous metal refinery in Clarksville. The facility will be built and operated through Crucible Metals LLC, a U.S. company created by Korea Zinc to manage the project.

Ward Baker, founder and president of the Baker Group, welcomed guests and thanked everyone who helped bring the project to the area. “This milestone of Project Crucible represents innovation and excellence,” Baker said. “Project Crucible is not just an investment; it’s an investment in people and opportunity and the long-term success of Montgomery County and the country.”

Crucible Zinc is part of a larger $7.4 billion investment in Tennessee. It will be built on land connected to the former Nyrstar zinc smelter site in Clarksville. The facility will cover about 160 acres and is designed to replicate the company’s Onsan refinery in South Korea, which is the largest single-site non-ferrous smelter in the world.

| PREVIOUSLY: Korea Zinc to buy Nyrstar, build new $6.6 billion smelter, create 420 jobs

The smelter will create 420 jobs with salaries ranging from $83,000 to $196,000 annually, according to previous reports.

What will happen at Clarksville smelter facility?

Once operating, the Clarksville facility will refine and produce 13 different metals, including several materials considered “critical to modern technology and national security.” These include zinc, lead, copper, silver, gold, indium, antimony, bismuth, tellurium, gallium, germanium, cadmium, and palladium. The plant will also produce semiconductor-grade sulfuric acid used in manufacturing.

When the Clarksville refinery reaches full operation, it is expected to produce large amounts of base metals each year, including about 300,000 tons of zinc, 200,000 tons of lead, and more than 35,000 tons of copper. The facility will also refine precious metals, including roughly 1,040 tons of silver annually and about 5 tons of gold each year.

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According to Korea Zinc Chairman Yun B. Choi, the new facility will add significantly to the company’s global production. “Project Crucible in a nutshell is the deployment of all our skills, experiences, and latest technologies in Clarksville, Tennessee, to make the best critical minerals processing facility that the world deserves,” Choi said.

Producing critical metals for U.S. security

Choi said the Clarksville site could help make Korea Zinc one of the largest producers of silver in the world. During the event, various speakers explained the project will help expand domestic refining capacity for metals that are often imported from overseas.

The United States currently relies heavily on imports for many critical minerals used in industries such as electronics, batteries, artificial intelligence and defense manufacturing. The Clarksville refinery is meant to help “strengthen supply chains” by processing these metals in the United States.

“This is the largest announced project in state history,” said Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart McWhorter during the ceremony.

Timeline for construction

Site preparation and engineering is expected to continue through 2026, with construction planned to begin in early 2027. The project is expected to take about 33 months to build. Initial operations are planned to begin in 2029, starting with zinc processing before expanding to lead and copper later that year. The refinery is expected to reach full production in early 2030.

Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden said the project will bring major economic opportunities to the community. “Think about those high-paying jobs, the boost that’s going to happen to the economy, and all the opportunities for families to stay here, thrive here, live, work, play, and worship right here in Clarksville and Montgomery County,” Golden said.

The project will also build on Clarksville’s long history in metal production. The original zinc smelter in the area opened in 1978 and was once the only zinc smelter operating in the United States with the ability to produce about 130,000 tons of zinc per year.

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