Atlantic Strategic confirms viability, 12-month pathway for monazite processing plant

Staff Writer | June 30, 2026 | 8:37 am Critical Minerals Suppliers & Equipment USA Rare Earth

Aerial view of ASM facilities in Virginia. Image supplied.

US mineral sands producer Atlantic Strategic Minerals (ASM) says it has confirmed the technical viability of building a domestic rare earth processing facility and a rapid pathway to production.

On Tuesday, the company released a feasibility study (FS) for its new monazite project, outlining what it describes as “robust underlying fundamentals” — including competitive operating costs, established processing pathways and access to prospective markets.

Based on the feasibility plans, the project would initially begin with a demonstration plant capable of producing 1,000 tonnes per annum of monazite concentrate from existing byproduct streams, creating an immediate domestic source of rare earth-bearing material.

Through further expansion and third-party feedstock processing, the plant capacity could scale up five-fold to approximately 5,000 tonnes per annum, positioning it as a meaningful contributor to US rare earth supply chains, the study revealed.

The results underscore the project’s potential as a reliable domestic source of rare earth elements, ASM said.

Commissioning within 12 months

The company, which is headquartered in Virginia, already mines and processes high-quality ilmenite and zircon at its minerals separation plant in Stony Creek, labelled as the largest of its kind in North America.

The monazite project builds on this established operational base, offering a relatively rapid pathway to market, ASM said, noting that the demo plant could be developed and commissioned within approximately 12 months.

“This feasibility study marks a significant milestone and underscores the project’s strategic importance. We have confirmed it can be developed on a sound technical basis with attractive long-term fundamentals,” John Elder, CEO of ASM, commented in a press release.

“The demonstration plant can be commissioned within approximately 12 months, giving us a near-term opportunity to establish a domestic monazite supply with significant capacity to scale through the right partnerships.”