AMG opens $15M chrome metal plant, becomes sole US producer

AMG Critical Materials N.V. opened a $15 million chrome metal facility in New Castle, Pennsylvania, making it the sole US producer of the strategic material.

"Chrome metal enhances the performance, durability, and heat resistance of advanced alloys. With our new high-purity chrome metal facility, AMG is onshoring the production of a material deemed critical for US national security," Dr. Heinz Schimmelbusch, Chairman of the Management Board and CEO, said.

The plant has a planned annual capacity of 6,500 tons. AMG already produces chrome metal at its Rotherham, UK facility, which has operated since 1938 with 15,000 tons of capacity. The US lost domestic chrome metal production when its last plant closed in 2006.

Chrome metal is essential for nickel-chromium superalloys used in LEAP jet engines, SpaceX's Starship rockets, and solid oxide fuel cells. Only three plants in the Western world produce chrome metal — two now owned by AMG — with the rest concentrated in China and Russia. The US previously imported 100% of its chrome metal supply.

The 6,500-ton US capacity compares with AMG's 15,000-ton UK operation. Total Western chrome metal production stands at roughly 21,500 tons, with the remainder of global supply coming from China and Russia.

AMG has invested more than $400 million into its US operations over the past several years, including facilities producing chrome, vanadium, and titanium. The company trades on Euronext Amsterdam under the ticker AMG.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.