In January 2025, MP Materials reached a pivotal milestone in restoring the U.S. rare earth magnet supply chain when the company’s flagship Independence facility in Fort Worth, Texas, commenced commercial production of neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr) metal and trial production of automotive-grade, sintered neodymium-iron-boron (NdFeB) magnets.

NdFeB magnets, the world’s most powerful and efficient permanent magnets, are essential components in vehicles, drones, robotics, electronics and aerospace and defense systems. Despite their indispensable role, the U.S. has relied almost entirely on foreign sources for these critical inputs for decades.

Fluor assisted MP Materials in engineering, equipment purchasing and installation for this 250,000-square-foot facility, which will, for the first time in decades, help bring the U.S. closer to reestablishing a fully integrated, domestic supply chain for these critical components.