The Korean company is in talks with major U.S. tech firms.
South Korean metals producer Korea Zinc is in talks with U.S. technology companies to recycle data-center waste and extract critical minerals, Chairman Yun B. Choi said according to Reuters. The discussions focus on recovering rare earths and other strategic metals from discarded servers, electronic components, batteries, and solar equipment.
Korea Zinc has been researching rare earth extraction technologies for several years and is now exploring partnerships that would enable recycling and refining to take place in the United States. Data-center scrap is considered a growing source of valuable materials, as the components contain elements such as gallium and indium in the chips or palladium in the hard drives.
The initiative would complement Korea Zinc’s broader expansion in the United States. The company is planning a $7.4 billion smelting complex in Tennessee designed to produce non-ferrous metals and refine critical minerals such as antimony, indium, bismuth, tellurium, gallium, and germanium, with U.S. government support expected for the project.
In addition, Korea Zinc has partnered with U.S. startup Alta Resource Technologies to build a rare-earth magnet recycling facility scheduled to begin operations in 2027. The plant will process end-of-life permanent magnets and produce purified rare earth oxides using advanced separation technology developed with backing from U.S. defense-related research programs.
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