Joint effort aims to create a sustainable, domestic supply chain for rare earth and critical minerals from deep sea nodules
Impossible Metals is an innovative sustainable deep sea nodule harvesting company
ReElement is commercially producing magnet-, specialty- and defense-grade, separated critical minerals and rare earth oxides in the United States
FISHERS, IN / ACCESS Newswire / July 21, 2025 / American Resources Corporation (NASDAQ:AREC) ("American Resources" or the "Company"), along with its holding in ReElement Technologies Corporation ("ReElement"), a leading U.S. innovator in rare earth element (REE) and critical mineral refining, is pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Impossible Metals, Inc. ("Impossible Metals"), a pioneer in sustainable deep-sea nodule harvesting.
The MOU outlines a strategic collaboration to jointly investigate developing and deploying a vertically integrated critical mineral supply chain solution, combining Impossible Metals' proprietary nodule collection technology with ReElement's innovative and industry-leading critical mineral refining platform to create a globally competitive, sustainable, and independent rare earth supply chain in the United States.
Key highlights of the MOU include:
Focus on essential elements: Copper, cobalt, nickel, manganese, and rare earth elements.
Joint commitment to explore a sustainable, non-China critical mineral supply chain to meet growing global demand.
Toll-processing framework: ReElement to refine deep sea nodules and deliver separated minerals to Impossible Metals' customers.
Strategic collaboration to enhance and secure the global critical mineral value chain and identify further joint opportunities.
Integration of ReElement's platform, delivering high-throughput, low-waste, cost-effective refining of ultra-pure critical minerals.
End-to-end U.S. supply chain: From seabed mining in federal waters near American Samoa to refining operations in Indiana.
The MOU follows President Trump's April 2025 Executive Order, Unleashing America's Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources, which underscores the urgency of domestic collaboration across the exploration, harvesting, processing, and environmental stewardship of seabed mineral resources.
Impossible Metals has played a direct role in shaping global policy on responsible seabed mining. At the regulatory level, Impossible Metals successfully requested the Department of the Interior to initiate permitting for deep-sea minerals in U.S. federal waters and has personally updated members of the U.S. Congress on the importance of this unique feedstock.
On the technical front, Impossible Metals is preparing to deploy Eureka III in 2026 - the commercial embodiment of its autonomous underwater collection platform. The system is capable of selectively collecting polymetallic nodules without disturbing visible life and builds on years of successful prototype development and in-ocean trials.
Mark Jensen, CEO and Chairman of ReElement, commented, "I have known Oliver for over 4 years now and the scientific and technical progress he and his team have made is extremely impressive. We're excited to bring ReElement's advanced refining capabilities to this important mission and serve as the toll processor for materials essential to America's energy and defense security."
Oliver Gunasekara, CEO and Co-Founder of Impossible Metals, added, "We're thrilled to begin our collaboration with ReElement. Both of our teams share a clear vision for establishing an efficient, scalable, and 100% U.S. mining-to- processing supply chain for the critical materials necessary for defense and advanced industrial purposes."
The agreement marks another key milestone in the journey to deliver U.S.-processed, high-purity rare earth products to the global value chain and reinforces both companies' commitment to building a resilient, environmentally sound and sustainable supply network.
About Impossible Metals
Impossible Metals (YC, Public Benefit Corporation) is a North American underwater robotics company unleashing sustainable critical minerals from the deep ocean. The company has built the Eureka collection system, which is the world's first autonomous underwater robotics platform for selectively collecting polymetallic nodules while preserving and protecting the marine ecosystem.
About American Resources Corporation (NASDAQ: AREC)
American Resources Corporation is a leader in the critical mineral supply chain, developing innovative solutions both upstream and downstream of the refining process. The company and its affiliates focus on the extraction and processing of metallurgical carbon and iron ore, essential ingredients in steelmaking, as well as critical and rare earth minerals for the electrification market and recycled metals.
Leveraging its affiliation and former parent status of ReElement Technologies Corporation, a leading provider of high-performance refining capacity for rare earth and critical battery elements, American Resources is investing in and developing efficient upstream and downstream critical mineral operations. These operations include mining interests in conventional and unconventional sources, recycling, and manufacturing.
American Resources has established a nimble, low-cost business model centered on growth, which provides a significant opportunity to scale its portfolio of assets to meet the growing global infrastructure and electrification markets while also continuing to acquire operations and significantly reduce their legacy industry risks. Its streamlined and efficient operations are able to maximize margins while reducing costs. For more information visit americanresourcescorp.com or connect with the Company on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
About ReElement Technologies Corporation
ReElement Technologies Corporation, a portfolio company of American Resources Corporation (NASDAQ:AREC), is a leading provider of high-performance refining capacity for rare earth and critical battery elements. Its multi-mineral, multi-feedstock platform technology focuses on the refining of recycled material from rare earth permanent magnets and lithium-ion batteries, concentrated ores and brines, as well as coal-based waste streams and byproducts to create a cost effective and environmentally-safe, circular supply chain. ReElement has developed its innovative and scalable "Powered by ReElement" process which collaboratively utilizes its exclusively licensed intellectual property within its partners' material processing flow sheets to more efficiently support the global supply chain's growing demand for magnet and battery-grade products. For more information visit reelementtech.com or connect with the Company on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
Learn more about ReElement Technologies' process and technology here - Video.
Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important factors that could cause the Company's actual results, performance, or achievements or industry results to differ materially from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond American Resources Corporation's control. The words "believes", "may", "will", "should", "would", "could", "continue", "seeks", "anticipates", "plans", "expects", "intends", "estimates", or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Any forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this release. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update or supplement any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. The Company cannot assure you that the projected results or events will be achieved.
Investor Contact:
JTC Team, LLC
Jenene Thomas
(908) 824 - 0775
arec@jtcir.com
Media Inquiries:
Marjorie Weisskohl
703-587-1532
mweisskohl@allseasonspr.com
Company Contact:
Mark LaVerghetta
317-855-9926 ext. 0
investor@americanresourcescorp.com
SOURCE: American Resources Corporation
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire:
https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/metals-and-mining/reelement-technologies-corporation-and-impossible-metals-announce-collaboration-o-1050533
