Glomar Minerals and Cobalt Blue Holdings have announced that two sites in the Greater New Orleans area are among the final contenders for Project Infinity, a planned U.S. commercial-scale critical-minerals processing facility. This development could lead to significant job creation and industrial investment in the Gulf Coast region.
The companies revealed that they have narrowed the list from over 30 candidate sites nationwide to four, with the Greater New Orleans sites being two of these. The exact locations within New Orleans have not been disclosed, reflecting the ongoing evaluation process. The other finalists include sites in Brunswick County, North Carolina, and the Texas Gulf Coast.
Project Infinity aims to process up to 200,000 tons of polymetallic nodules yearly, along with 7,500 tons of terrestrial cobalt hydroxide. The facility’s outputs are expected to include manganese, cobalt sulfate, nickel, and copper, in addition to residue with rare-earth elements. If fully developed, the project could create hundreds of direct jobs and thousands of indirect jobs, though no investment value has been provided.
The selection of Greater New Orleans as a finalist highlights the area’s growing prominence in the critical-minerals sector. Recent similar announcements have positioned Louisiana as a budding hub for such projects, suggesting significant potential changes in local industrial real estate dynamics and infrastructure needs.
Next steps involve detailed technical and economic evaluations of the finalist sites, and while a timeline for the final decision has not been confirmed, further announcements are expected following these evaluations. The project promises to enhance the region’s industrial profile, offering extensive opportunities for private-sector development and public-private collaboration.
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