The company that owns a taconite mine in Minnesota has signed an agreement with a coal company to build a minerals processing facility near Beulah.
Talon Metals is partnering with Westmoreland Coal to build the “Beulah Minerals Processing Facility” on a 256 acre portions of the former Westmoreland site. Talon says this will be one of the most advanced nickel and copper minerals processing facilities in the world.
"It's so necessary," said Talon CEO Mike Kicis. "China and Russia saw what was coming, and they've essentially taken the market for critical minerals."
Kicis said the Beulah site is ideal.
"You've got energy here," Kicis said. "You've got transportation, and you've got the business environment that's really helpful to it. You have a drier climate, and you have the fly ash from the coal plant, which we can all use together in the byproducts we're hoping to make."
The plan is to ship the taconite via rail to Beulah.
Beulah officials are ecstatic over the project.
"It feels really good," said Beulah economic development leader "Beaver" Brinkman. He has been working on bringing this project to Beulah. "People don't realize how long it takes to get a project like this to this point."
The company says the plant will employ up to 150 people. And the construction will bring hundreds more. Brinkman said he expects this will mean more investment in the area – and even more jobs. He said there have already been other inquiries, including projects for drone batteries and extracting rare earth minerals from fly ash. Brinkman said if all the proposals come to fruition, the area could see upwards of 1000 new jobs.
Talon is planning to start construction in 2027, and have it up and running by 2029.