Westwin Elements 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, Miss. The facility will build on Westwin’s experience at its 20 metric ton per year (mt/y) demonstration plant in Lawton, Okla., which has completed multiple production campaigns of on-spec Class 1 nickel powder using nickel carbonyl refining technology.
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. Westwin said it 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 mt 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.
“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.”
Construction of the Belwood refinery has not yet begun and remains subject to the completion of financing, permitting, engineering and other requirements. Westwin said it is working with the state and local partners to advance the project toward the planned commissioning of Phase 1 in 2029.
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