NATCHEZ, Miss. — Westwin Elements, America’s only Class 1 nickel refinery, announced plans to invest $502 million over five years to establish a commercial-scale Class 1 nickel refinery at the Belwood Industrial Site in Natchez, Mississippi. The project is expected to create 134 full-time jobs in its first phase of commercial operations, at an average annual salary of approximately $84,000. The investment marks a significant step toward building America’s domestic critical mineral refining capacity.
The Natchez facility will build on Westwin’s experience at its 20-tonne-per-year demonstration plant in Lawton, Oklahoma, which has completed multiple production campaigns of on-spec Class 1 nickel powder using nickel carbonyl refining technology.
Westwin has completed a Bankable Feasibility Study for the Natchez site and secured a long-term lease for the Belwood site. The first phase of the project plans to produce 18,000 tonnes of Class 1 nickel annually, with commissioning targeted for 2029. Binding feedstock and offtake agreements already in place support production and revenue projected for the first phase of the project, ensuring the refinery’s early success upon completion of its construction.
The project is expected to create 134 full-time jobs in the first phase. Westwin plans to provide paid benefits for employees and their dependents.
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