The Scandium Gamble: A Strategic Bet on a Critical Mineral The tiny Australian town of Fifield has become the focal point of a major strategic play by the United States government, with a $400 million loan to Sunrise Energy Metals aimed at securing the world's first primary source of scandium.
This critical mineral is prized for its ultra high strength alloys and solid oxide fuel cells, but it's currently in short supply due to China's export controls on rare earth elements.
The demand for scandium has skyrocketed in recent years, driven by massive increases in defence spending across North America, Europe, and Asia, as well as an investment boom in power hungry data centers.