Perpetua Resources receives multi-million-dollar funding to supply materials for ammunition production.
The U.S. Army has pledged up to $6.9 million in funding to domestic mining company Perpetua Resources. The funds come from the Department of Defense Ordnance Technology Consortium, the Pentagon’s central research and development hub for weapons technologies. The goal is to test whether Perpetua’s future Stibnite mine can supply material that meets military standards for the production of antimony trisulfide, an essential component in certain types of ammunition and advanced weapon systems.
This latest funding builds on a previous $15.5 million grant the company received in 2023 from the Department of Defense. That earlier investment was designated for the development of a modular pilot plant capable of processing not only antimony but also other strategically important materials for the defense sector. With the additional funding, Perpetua plans to expand the plant’s capacity. In total, the company reports it has received over $80 million in federal funding from the Pentagon.
China Bans Antimony Exports to the U.S. as of Late 2024
China, the world’s leading supplier of antimony, halted exports of the critical material to the United States at the end of 2024. Perpetua’s Stibnite project is the only known domestic source of antimony and is expected to meet approximately 35% of U.S. demand during its first six years of production. The U.S. government granted final approval for the Stibnite mine last week (we reported). The project is among a select group of strategic mineral initiatives designated for fast-tracked permitting to enhance national supply chain security.
“Antimony trisulfide is an irreplaceable component in over 300 types of munitions,” said Colonel Steven Power, Project Director at the Picatinny Arsenal, a U.S. government weapons and ammunition research facility. “A fully domestic supply chain is vital to the security of our armed forces.”
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