The United States is seeing a major shift in its domestic metals processing capacity after decades of decline. For anyone asking are there any new us lead smelters being built, the answer is yes, and the project is far larger than a standalone lead facility. Korea Zinc has partnered with the U.S. government to construct a multibillion-dollar non-ferrous smelter in Clarksville, Tennessee, that will produce lead, zinc, copper, and numerous critical minerals.
The Tennessee "Super Smelter" Project
In December 2025, Korea Zinc announced a landmark agreement with the U.S. Department of War and Department of Commerce to build a state-of-the-art smelting facility in Clarksville, Tennessee. The total investment reaches approximately $7.4 billion, including $6.6 billion in capital expenditures plus financing costs.
The facility will span approximately 650,000 square meters and is designed to process around 1.1 million tonnes of raw materials annually. At full capacity, it will produce roughly 540,000 tonnes of finished products, including industrial metals such as zinc, lead, and copper, along with precious metals like gold and silver.
Construction is scheduled to begin with site preparation in 2026, followed by full construction in 2027. Phased commercial operations are expected to start in 2029, with initial production focused on zinc, lead, and copper.
Why This Matters for U.S. Lead Supply
This project addresses a significant gap in American industrial infrastructure. The existing Clarksville smelter, operated by Nyrstar, has been the only primary zinc refinery in the United States for nearly 50 years. Korea Zinc plans to acquire Nyrstar's U.S. operations and ｒｅｐｌａｃｅ the aging facility with a modern, larger plant.
The new smelter will produce 13 non-ferrous metal products, 11 of which are designated as critical minerals by the U.S. government. Lead, which was added to the U.S. critical minerals list in 2025, is among them. This designation reflects lead's essential role in defense production, energy storage, and industrial applications.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick described the project as transformational, stating that the country will now produce critical minerals vital to aerospace, defense, semiconductors, AI, quantum computing, and automotive industries.
Advanced Technology and Design
The Tennessee facility will be based on the design of Korea Zinc's Onsan facility in Ulsan, South Korea, which is the world's largest single-site smelter by production capacity. The plant will use world-leading smelting technology, optimal processes, and state-of-the-art control systems.
Korea Zinc plans to deploy technical personnel and operational expertise from the Onsan complex during early project phases. This integrated zinc-lead-copper processing capability is intended to reduce commissioning risk and position the Clarksville facility among the most advanced smelters globally.
In addition to base and precious metals, the facility will produce strategic minerals including antimony, indium, bismuth, tellurium, cadmium, palladium, gallium, and germanium, as well as sulfuric acid and semiconductor-grade sulfuric acid.
The Growing Role of Lead Recycling
While new primary smelting capacity is important, secondary lead production from recycled sources accounts for a significant portion of global supply. Used lead acid batteries represent one of the most recycled consumer products worldwide, with recovery rates exceeding 95% in many regions.
For companies looking to establish or upgrade lead acid battery recycling equipment, modern systems can efficiently break and separate batteries to recover acid, plastic shell, lead grid, and lead paste. Capacity ranges from 1 to 10 metric tons per hour, depending on facility requirements.
The recovered lead paste typically undergoes further processing in smelting furnaces. A lead refinery furnace can refine crude lead to 99.999% purity, available in natural gas, diesel, or electric heated configurations. Electric heating options using near-infrared technology can achieve energy savings of 30-50% compared to conventional methods.
As a professional recycling equipment supplier, San Lan Technologies provides complete plant solutions including breaking and separation systems, de-sulfurization units, rotary furnaces for paste reduction, blast furnaces, water treatment plants, and air pollution control systems.
Strategic Implications
The Korea Zinc investment reflects a broader policy shift toward securing domestic processing capacity for critical minerals. The U.S. Department of War will hold approximately a 40% stake in the joint venture, with $1.4 billion in conditional investment. JPMorgan is assisting in structuring the financing, while the Department of Commerce will provide $210 million under the CHIPS Act.
Deputy Secretary of War Steve Feinberg noted that the investment reverses decades of industrial decline and creates 750 American jobs. The project aligns with long-term U.S. and South Korean economic security objectives, serving as a model for allied cooperation at a time of heightened geopolitical risk.
Clarksville was selected due to its existing industrial infrastructure, skilled local workforce with decades of smelting experience, strong transportation links, and relatively low electricity costs, a key factor in smelting economics.
Conclusion
To answer the question directly: yes, new lead production capacity is being built in the United States. The Korea Zinc project in Tennessee represents the most significant investment in U.S. non-ferrous smelting in over 50 years. While not exclusively a lead smelter, the facility will materially expand domestic lead production as part of an integrated multimetal operation.
The project underscores the strategic importance of lead and other critical minerals to American industrial and defense priorities. It also highlights the complementary role of recycling in maintaining sustainable lead supply chains. As primary capacity expands, secondary production from used lead acid battery recycling will continue to be an essential contributor to meeting global demand.
