Today, the Department of Defense announced a $10 million award to Elk Creek Resources Corporation ("ECRC") via Title III of the Defense Production Act (DPA). ECRC is a subsidiary of NioCorp Developments Ltd. (NioCorp). Located near Elk Creek, Nebraska, ECRC is developing the United States' first polymetallic deposit targeting near-term production of Scandium (Sc), Niobium (Nb), Titanium (Ti), and other critical minerals. This investment supports the March 20, 2025, Executive Order 14241 Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production, the goal of which is to facilitate domestic mineral production.
"Scandium alloys are increasingly replacing titanium alloy and legacy aluminum alloy components in DoD systems due to their superior lightweight, high-strength characteristics," said Dr. Vic Ramdass, Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy. "Geological scarcity and limited production infrastructure drive scandium industrial shortages. Establishing a vertically integrated domestic supply chain for scandium alloy production enables multiple avenues for innovation in defense aerospace."
This DPA Title III award will enable the completion of feasibility study-level engineering, additional reserve drilling, and the updating of cost estimates for ECRC's Elk Creek Critical Minerals Project. As part of this effort, ECRC will advance the integration of aluminum-scandium alloys into aerospace platforms in conjunction with a defense prime contractor. Successful development of the Elk Creek project will enable ECRC to become one of the first U.S. producers of Sc, which will enhance critical DoD systems, such as advanced propulsion, next-gen energy systems, and multiple structural components and components for aircraft programs of record, hypersonic weapons systems, and future aircraft. Sc scarcity is an obstacle restricting wider industry adoption of Sc to modernize and improve the performance of major aerospace and hypersonic platforms.
"The last recorded scandium mining in the United States occurred in 1969, with substantially all current scandium production, in any form, now occurring in China," added Mr. William "Greg" Davis, Acting Director of the Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) directorate. "DPA Title III investments like this one are key for reducing the U.S. defense industrial base's dependence on foreign sources for critical minerals."
The ECRC decision is one of ten awards made by the DPA Purchases Office totaling $336.4 million since the beginning of fiscal year 2025. These investments are complemented by $88 million in total recipient cost shares since the beginning of FY 2025.
