According to NioCorp CEO and executive chair Mark A. Smith, the company has already obtained the major federal permits needed for construction of the Elk Creek project.

The three minerals NioCorp plans to produce at Elk Creek, niobium, scandium and titanium, are all considered ‘critical' by the US government.

DuPont said the MECS plant would be designed to maximise energy recovery and emissions control at the project.

DuPont Clean Technologies president Eli Ben-Shoshan said: "We have extensive experience providing world-leading sulphuric acid technologies and ongoing support to mining companies around the globe.

"Emissions control is a fundamental part of what we do, so we are delighted to assist NioCorp in achieving its environmental goals."

NioCorp previously said it had been making strides at the proposed mine and advanced materials manufacturing facility, including recycling of process reagents in the early phases of the project that will minimise the emissions profile of the plant. The company will also be utilising components such as baghouses, scrubbers, low nitrogen oxide (NOx) combustion systems, state-of-the-art acid regeneration and other technologies to meet its mission.

DuPont's Clean Technologies division offers MECS sulphuric acid plant processes, products and services for sulphur burning, metallurgical sour off-gas removal, spent acid recovery, and wet gas sulfuric acid recovery (SULFOX).