Korea Zinc to Build $7.4 Billion Critical Minerals Smelter in Clarksville, Tennessee

Korea Zinc announced on December 15, 2025, that it will invest more than $6.6 billion in new production facilities in Clarksville and Gordonsville, Tennessee, its first U.S. locations. Tennessee officials called it the largest single private corporate investment in state history. Including working capital and financing costs, the project, known as Project Crucible, requires total financing and investment of about $7.4 billion.

740 jobs in two counties

Korea Zinc will create 420 new jobs in Montgomery County and 320 jobs in Smith County over the next five years. The Clarksville facility will house the company’s U.S. headquarters and manufacturing operations, while in Gordonsville the company plans to reopen a former mine.

13 critical and strategic minerals

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, the smelter will produce 13 critical and strategic minerals, including gallium, germanium, indium, antimony, bismuth, tellurium, copper, silver, gold, zinc and lead, along with semiconductor-grade sulfuric acid, at a rate of 540,000 tons per year. The plant will be an advanced replica of Korea Zinc’s Onsan smelter in South Korea and is expected to be operational by 2029.

Federal support

The CHIPS Program awarded $210 million in direct funding to Crucible Metals, LLC, a Korea Zinc subsidiary, and the Department of War’s Office of Strategic Capital announced conditional loans for the project. Korea Zinc marked the start of Project Crucible at a ceremony in Clarksville on April 1, 2026. The roughly 160-acre facility will be built on land connected to the former Nyrstar zinc smelter site.

Yun B. Choi, Chairman, Korea Zinc said:

“This is a transformational endeavor for Korea Zinc and our long-term commitment to the region – one that will create high-quality jobs, contribute to the local economy and uphold the highest standards of environmental stewardship and safety.”

Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said:

“I am proud to announce this historic investment and welcome Korea Zinc to the Volunteer State. These hundreds of new jobs will drive economic prosperity across this region for generations to come.”