Western Magnesium Corporation said it has inked an agreement to build its first-ever eco-friendly magnesium plant in eastern Ohio, which will bring hundreds of jobs to the state’s Harrison County.
Washington DC-based Western Magnesium said that Harrison County was chosen over several other locations in the US to host its first green 100,000 metric ton scalable magnesium plant in a move to answer the call for higher domestic magnesium metal production.
“The plant plans on producing 10% of the world’s current supply and employing over 200 full-time and 500 support personnel which will significantly further the economic development of Harrison County and the state of Ohio,” the company said in a statement.
The 122-acre property lies adjacent to the future home of a modern mixed fuels power plant which could supply power to the company’s clean magnesium production. Significantly, it is also close to a dolomite supply and has both rail and highway infrastructure that will carry the magnesium finished product to industries across the US, noted the company.
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Western Magnesium said a packed field of onlookers at the Harrison County site applauded the newly signed partnership between Western Magnesium and several economic development groups at an official signing and unveiling ceremony.
In speeches at the partnership unveiling, Nicholas Homrighausen, executive director of the Harrison County Community Improvement Corporation said: “We look forward to working with Western Magnesium towards the successful completion of this innovative project that is over a one-billion-dollar investment with the potential of growing jobs.”
US Congressmen Bill Johnson, R-Marietta pointed out that construction of the plant was important to the country: “Magnesium is a critical metal that goes into manufacturing and industries like automotive, aviation. You don’t have those manufacturing industries in America if you can’t extract magnesium."
Western Magnesium CEO Sam Ataya revealed that the company spent 16 months vetting other states and searching for the best opportunity for its first commercial plant.
“This process was made easier by the hard work and support from Jobs Ohio, the local businesses and the people from Harrison County,” Ataya said.
And Ohio Southeast Economic Development President Mike Jacoby thanked Western Magnesium for its decision to build the plant in “our community,” while congratulating Harrison County on its economic efforts.
The company said the signed agreement marks a significant advancement in bringing back American jobs and in producing an eco-friendly metal vital to the strategic interests of the country.
Western Magnesium plans to break ground on the plant within the next eighteen months.
Contact the author Uttara Choudhury at uttara@proactiveinvestors.com
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