Korea Zinc, Australian government discuss critical minerals cooperation

Korea Zinc said Friday that it has come to an agreement with the Australian government to strengthen communication and explore new opportunities for cooperation aimed at advancing critical minerals value chains and enhancing supply chain resilience. According to the company, Chairman Choi Yun-beom met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra on Wednesday to discuss ways to bolster Australia's critical minerals supply chain and improve the competitiveness of its smelting industry. During the meeting, Choi introduced Korea Zinc's Project Crucible, a large-scale integrated smelter project currently under development in Tennessee. Under the project, Korea Zinc plans to invest a total of $7.4 billion by 2029 to build an integrated smelting facility in Clarksville, Tennessee, capable of processing approximately 1.1 million tons of raw materials annually. Choi explained that the project combines Korea Zinc's advanced smelting technology with policy support from the U.S. government to help establish a stable and secure critical minerals supply chain. In response, Albanese descr