Adams County Welcomes $502 Million Nickel Refinery; Data Center Talks Remain Preliminary

NATCHEZ, Miss. – Adams County supervisors applauded Monday’s announcement about leasing county-owned land to a metal refinery that plans to create 134 jobs, but they said it’s too early to discuss prospects for a data center being sited here.

Reports last month about Adams County supervisors being in secret discussions with a developer interested in building a data center are “premature,” said Supervisor Wes Middleton.

No decisions have been made on such a facility for the old International Paper property the county bought in 2013 to offer to new industries, said Supervisor Ricky Gray. However, “whatever we do, we must be transparent with the community,” he said.

Supervisors did openly discuss another tract of county-owned land secured by an Oklahoma-based nickel refining company. Westwin Elements announced Monday that it plans to build a $502 million facility on the leased Belwood site. Adams County officials have been struggling for three decades to get an industry to occupy the 110-acre property the county bought in 1998.

Chandler Russ, Natchez-Adams County’s chief industrial recruiter, said Westwin could begin next year building the metal refinery, which the company envisions being operational in 2029.

“We’re truly excited about this opportunity,” Russ said “We’re excited for Adams County to be beginning to see this property (occupied by an industry).”

Westwin produces nickel powder for alloys, electronics, batteries and aerospace & defense uses.

In the company’s announcement Monday, Westwin reported it plans to employ 134 workers in Adams County with an average annual salary of about $84,000 in the first phase of operations.

“The Natchez site gives us the capacity to produce American-made Class 1 nickel at scale, strengthening a critical domestic supply our country needs while creating high-paying careers,” said Westwin Elements CEO KaLeigh Long.

Long noted the site’s closeness to Adams County’s Mississippi River port is among the key transportation assets that attracted Westwin.

Actual construction remains subject to the completion of financing, engineering and government permitting processes. This includes regulatory requirements to be set by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality and collaborations with Entergy, which supplies the electricity, and the Mississippi Development Authority, which offers various business incentives.

Westwin scuttled plans last year to build a nickel refinery in Oklahoma. The company encountered logistical problems and a decline in nickel value, according to reports published by Oklahoma news outlets.  Westwin also faced criticism from local Native American tribal members concerned about potential pollution caused by nickel refining.

Monday’s announcement comes after another industrial prospect last year canceled plans for building a jet fuel refinery at Adams County’s Belwood site. Velocys had planned to build a plant to convert wood debris from area timberlands into fuel.

State and federal governments have provided Adams County nearly $6 million for building a levee to protect the site from Mississippi River floodwaters.

As the influx of data centers throughout the United States causes controversies, Gray noted the Mississippi Association of Supervisors will be discussing this at a conference next week. He encouraged Goodman to formulate questions and concerns for Gray to pose at the meeting.