Westwin Elements Selects Natchez, Mississippi for $502 Million Class 1 Nickel Refinery
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 5, 2026
NATCHEZ, Miss. — Westwin Elements, America’s only Class 1 nickel refinery, announced plans to invest $502 million over five years to establish a commercial-scale Class 1 nickel refinery at the Belwood Industrial Site in Natchez, Mississippi. The project is expected to create 134 full-time jobs in its first phase of commercial operations, at an average annual salary of approximately $84,000. The investment marks a significant step toward building America’s domestic critical mineral refining capacity.
The Natchez facility will build on Westwin’s experience at its 20-tonne-per-year demonstration plant in Lawton, Oklahoma, which has completed multiple production campaigns of on-spec Class 1 nickel powder using nickel carbonyl refining technology.
Westwin has completed a Bankable Feasibility Study for the Natchez site and secured a long-term lease for the Belwood site. The first phase of the project plans to produce 18,000 tonnes of Class 1 nickel annually, with commissioning targeted for 2029. Binding feedstock and offtake agreements already in place support production and revenue projected for the first phase of the project, ensuring the refinery’s early success upon completion of its construction.
The project is expected to create 134 full-time jobs in the first phase. Westwin plans to provide paid benefits for employees and their dependents.
“Westwin was founded with the mission of delivering a win for the West and restoring the blue-collar American dream by bringing a critical industry back home,” said KaLeigh Long, founder and CEO of Westwin Elements. “The Natchez site gives us the capacity to produce American-made Class 1 nickel at scale, strengthening a critical domestic supply our country needs while creating high-paying careers.”
The Belwood site offers the infrastructure and logistical advantages needed to support commercial-scale production, including immediate proximity to Natchez’s inland port and access to transportation networks serving the region.
High-purity Class 1 nickel is used in national defense, aerospace, advanced manufacturing, specialty alloys, energy and other industrial applications. Developing domestic refining capacity is critical to reducing U.S. dependence on foreign processing and strengthening the supply chains that support those industries.
“Westwin’s selection of the Belwood Industrial Site is the result of an extensive site-selection and due-diligence process and represents an important milestone for both the company and our community,” said Chandler Russ, Executive Director of Natchez, Inc. “Belwood’s Mississippi River access, industrial infrastructure, available land and ability to support a project of this scale made Natchez a strong fit for Westwin’s long-term plans. We are proud to have been selected and look forward to continuing our work with Westwin, the Mississippi Development Authority, Entergy and our local partners as the company advances the financing, engineering and permitting necessary to move this significant project toward construction.”
Construction of the Belwood refinery has not yet begun and remains subject to the completion of financing, permitting, engineering and other requirements. Westwin is working with the state and local partners to advance the project toward the planned commissioning of Phase 1 in 2029.
About Westwin Elements
Westwin Elements is scaling America’s only Class 1 nickel refinery, delivering high-purity Class 1 nickel and specialized nickel products for national security and industrial applications. Westwin is driving critical mineral independence and reshaping the future of sustainable metal refining. Learn more at www.westwinelements.com.
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Conceptual renderings of Westwin Elements’ planned commercial refinery in Natchez, Mississippi.
