The town of Fifield near Parkes is about a six-hour drive west of Sydney, and at the last census was home to about 130 people. Now, the town has found itself at the centre of a major strategic play by the United States government.

The US Department of War has committed to make a conditional loan of US$400 million (about A$566 million) to Sunrise Energy Metals, an Australian mining company hoping to deliver the world’s first supply of a key critical mineral outside of China.

Scandium is listed as a critical mineral in both Australia and the US, signalling its strategic importance in aerospace and defence.

This loan is another chapter in the US government’s search for secure critical mineral supply chains to reduce its dependency on Chinese supply. But success will require sustained investment and government support.

Why scandium is on the radar

Scandium is a highly strategic metal used to produce ultra-high strength alloys needed for the most advanced fighter jets. It is also used in solid oxide fuel cells, crucial for providing reliable power to artificial intelligence (AI) data centres.

Two factors have contributed to the sudden interest in........

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