Utah, Japanese firms agree to use zero-waste critical mineral recovery process
Milford Mining Co. Utah (MMCU) and Furnace Japan Co. Inc. have signed an agreement to jointly deploy next-generation, environmentally sustainable processing technology in Utah to accelerate the recovery of tungsten from the Utah company’s Beaver County mine tailings.
The partnership combines MMCU’s mineral assets at the Copper Ranch Mine near Milford, which includes high-grade copper resources, historical tungsten deposits and legacy tailings, with Furnace Japan’s proprietary, internationally patented electric resistance furnace (ERF) mineral recovery technology. Together, the companies aim to unlock new value from both primary resources and previously discarded materials while significantly reducing environmental impact.
“The agreement with Furnace Japan highlights Milford Mining Co. Utah’s global leadership in pioneering innovation shows what’s possible when Utah’s resources are paired with world-class technology,” said Gov. Spencer Cox. “Milford Mining Co. is leading the way in unlocking Utah’s critical mineral potential, creating rural jobs and driving prosperity across our state.”
Conventional extraction methods rely on acid-intensive processes that generate large volumes of waste and present logistical and environmental challenges, according to Milford Mining. Furnace Japan’s pyrometallurgical ERF technology offers a cleaner alternative, using primarily electrical energy to process both newly mined ore and legacy tailings without large-scale acid consumption. The result is a more efficient system that produces environmentally stable, non-polluting slag that can be repurposed for industrial applications, thereby moving mining closer to a circular, zero-waste model.
Under the agreement, MMCU and Furnace Japan will develop a pilot plant in Milford to recover tungsten and other valuable minerals from the tailings. Pending successful trials, the partners plan to scale to a commercial operation and expand the technology to support upstream processing of newly mined ore. This approach transforms long-standing environmental liabilities into strategic domestic resources, supporting growing demand driven by electrification, AI infrastructure and national defense, the parties said.
“Milford Mining Co. Utah is committed to sustainable practices that protect our national security and support our thriving economy right here at home,” said MMCU Chairman Roger Barris. “Our collaboration with Furnace Japan has the potential to transform our mining byproducts into highly valuable critical minerals not found anywhere else in the world.”
The release said the collaboration aligns with the broader U.S.-Japan efforts to secure critical mineral supply chains. “By pairing advanced Japanese processing technology with U.S. resource development, infrastructure and workforce, the partnership represents a model for allied industrial cooperation — enhancing both economic resilience and national security,” the statement said.
MMCU is one of the only domestic copper mine restarts in the United States in decades, having successfully restarted operations at one of the highest-grade copper mines in the country and ramped production to help meet American copper demand.