Metallium Advances Texas Facility Development with Addition of Second Demonstration Line to Handle Rare Earths Elements and Semiconductor Feedstocks for FJH Process Amid Global Supply Chain Disruptions

HOUSTON, Oct. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Metallium Ltd. (ASX: MTM; OTCQX: MTMCF) announced the company will add a second demonstration line at its first commercial facility, scheduled for commissioning in December. The line will be specifically for rare earths elements (REE) and semiconductor feedstocks. The announcement was made by the company as they updated investors on the advancement of the company's commercial facility in that will use Metallium's patented FHJ (Flash Joule Heating) platform to extract precious and critical metals and minerals from several diverse feedstocks, including e-waste, magnet scrap, mine tailings and mineral concentrates. More information here: https://cdn-api.markitdigital.com/apiman-gateway/ASX/asx-research/1.0/file/2924-03006695-6A1289646&v=undefined.

"The recent escalation of Chinese export controls last week, including the export of REE technology targeting defense and chip users, reinforces the importance of establishing a secure, allied supply chain for rare-earth and critical metals in the U.S.," said Michael Walshe, Managing Director and CEO of the company, "Our technology platform is designed precisely for this moment, offering a clean, rapid and scalable processing alternative developed and deployed entirely in the United States. Metallium, with our REE-separation technology partner, Ucore Rare Metals Inc., is uniquely positioned to deliver the technology and materials needed to strengthen U.S. allied supply-chain independence from China," he said.

Walshe added that the company's first commercial plant in Texas will recycle high-value metals including gold and silver from e-waste and provide the U.S. and allied partners with a non-Chinese refining pathway for rare earths, gallium and germanium. Commissioning of the plant remains on track to begin in December with ramp-up continuing through the first quarter of calendar 2026. "As global trade tensions reshape supply chains, our technology's ability to process a wide range of REE feedstocks, mine concentrates, magnet scrap, tailings, and refinery residues, positions Metallium at the center of a resilient U.S. based critical-metals ecosystem," Walshe said.

Key highlights of the advancement of the Texas plant include:

• A 5X scale-up from original 360 tpa design (1 ton per day) to 8,000 tpa PCB feed capacity (approximately 1,600 tpa metal-rich char post-plastic removal). Ramp up to Stage 1 scale targeted for Q3 2026.
• Core infrastructure, including pre-processing circuits, has been configured to allow seamless expansion to Stage 2 capacity of 16,000 tpa PCB feed through the addition of supplement equipment modules.
• A dedicated specialty materials demonstration line (350 tpa maximum target capacity for Stage 1) will also be installed to process rare-earth-element (REE) tailings, refinery residues and semiconductor feedstocks containing gallium and Germanium. This capability,I in this second line to be installed, is expected to support demonstration programs for REE mining and refining partners seeking a domestic, non-Chinese processing pathway.
• The first commercial FJH line will focus on recovery of gold, silver, copper, tin, antimony and palladium from PCB e-waste, all of which are trading near record price levels, highlighting the strategic importance of Metallium's recycling model.
• Commissioning of the first FJH production line remains scheduled to commence in December 2025, with ramp-up through early 2026 to reach the 8,000 tpa Stage 1 operating level.
• All major systems have been ordered. Civil and electrical upgrades at the Chambers County, Texas site are proceeding, and the installation of environmental scrubber systems is underway.
• FHJ can treat a broad spectrum of REE-bearing materials, including mine concentrates, tailings, magnet scrap and refinery resides, providing a single, flexible processing route that shortens traditional flowsheets and eliminates dependence on Chinese refining. This adaptability is a key differentiator in addressing the full lifecycle of critical metals, from extraction to recycling.

Metallium Ltd. (https://www.metalliuminc.com) is pioneering a low-carbon, high-efficiency approach to recovering critical and precious metals from mineral concentrates and high-grade waste streams. The company's patented Flash Joule Heating (FJH) technology enables the extraction of high-value materials, including gallium, germanium, antimony, rare earth elements, and gold from feedstocks such as refinery scrap, e-waste and monazite. The technology was developed at Rice University, and the company holds a worldwide exclusive license to it for extraction of all precious and critical metals (except lithium) from an extensive list of feedstocks.

The company has secured its first commercial site in Texas via its wholly owned US subsidiary, Flash Metals USA Inc.

SOURCE MTM Critical Metals Ltd.