Update: Regenx Tech receives permit to restart operations

Regenx Tech Corp., headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, says in early July it received all necessary permits that authorize the company to complete the construction of operations at its new facility in Newport, Tennessee, and allows the processing of catalytic converter material to commence. 

In a mid-June update, RegenX said as of that time the restart of operations at its new facility in Newport, had been delayed as the company awaited its Air Pollution Control Construction permit from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

On July 2 in a further update, Rick Purdy, president of Regenx USA, remarked, “Securing the permits is a crucial step forward for Regenx. With the necessary approvals in place, our team is set to complete the plant construction and begin processing material by the end of July. While full-scale production will be achieved over time, these critical steps position us well to accelerate our progress and work toward our operational milestones. The company extends its gratitude to all stakeholders for their ongoing support throughout this process.”

The company initially applied for the permit Dec. 18, 2024, and the department is required to issue the permit by July 7, at the latest. All the submission documentation and public consultation have been completed and accepted by the department, Regenx indicated in June, with the only remaining outstanding item being the preparation and issuance of the actual permit document.

The company says it had invested time to try to shorten the bureaucratic process, including meeting with officials and enlisting the support of local and state politicians. However, these initiatives have been unsuccessful in reducing the allowed timetable.

As of mid-June as it awaited its permit, Regenx CEO Don Weatherbee commented, “We are disappointed that we are still awaiting the official granting of the permit documentation but remain hopeful it will be issued in advance of the regulatory deadline date. The team is poised to hit the ground running when the permit is issued and recommence operations in short order.”

Regenx hosted the grand opening of its Greeneville, Tennessee, facility in October 2023. The facility was its first commercial site and a joint venture in partnership with Davis Recycling Inc., a full-service catalytic converter and scrap metal buyer headquartered in Johnson City, Tennessee, to recover precious metals from diesel catalytic converters using a proprietary environmentally friendly technology. However, its operations at that site were paused roughly a year after opening following flooding caused by Hurricane Helene.

At that time, Regenx indicated it intended to move its Greeneville operations to Newport, Tennessee, about 25 miles away, as new ownership acquired the Greeneville property earlier in 2024 and indicated it would not renew Regenx’s lease beyond the current extension. According to Regenx, “Following a strategic review, the company identified a more suitable property" in Newport "that fills Regenx’s long-term operational and economic goals.”

The lease that Regenx signed late last year in Newport provides options for up to 10 years and secures the Newport facility as the company’s primary site.

“Transitioning to Newport presents an opportunity to support our long-term objectives," Weatherbee says. "The new facility is a better fit for our production needs, and moving now, while we are still transitioning equipment, minimizes future disruptions and unnecessary expenses related to expansion.”

During the transition to the new facility, Regenx says its team has been working on several initiatives to improve operations, including design and chemistry.

The redesign of the process flow has reduced labor requirements, ultimately creating greater efficiencies and a more streamlined operation, according to the company. The new design supports an initial operating capacity of 4,000 pounds of milled feedstock per day, with the flexibility to increase capacity in the future using fewer equipment upgrades compared with the previous version. During the required utility upgrades and relocations at the new site, Regenx made provisions to accommodate the expansion of operations in the future.

The Regenx team has been adjusting the base chemistry used in the process. Early this year, the results provided sufficient data that the changes could be used on a go-forward basis, the company says, noting these adjustments offer financial and operational advantages but required modifications to the equipment specifications and layout. These changes were implemented in the redesign process and have further derisked the company’s scale-up and expansion initiatives, Regenx says.

The company also has submitted a grant proposal to the U.S. Department of Energy to provide funding assistance for the operation and expansion of its technology. If the grant is awarded, it would provide a significant capital injection that would allow Regenx to accelerate its growth plans in a nondilutive manner, according to the company.

The grant highlights how Regenx fits into the government’s desire to increase domestic production of critical materials, which include platinum, palladium and silicon carbide. This proposal also aligns with current executive orders issued by President Donald Trump, and the company says it is working with highly placed officials to secure political support for the Department of Energy grant.