$43.4 million in Defense Production Act Title III funding, awarded to Nova Minerals Corp (NYSE American: NVA | ASX: NVA) by the U.S. Department of War in October 2025, now sits inside a widening federal policy frame. President Trump signed the executive order "Securing America's Defense Supply Chains and Ensuring Domestic Acquisition of Critical Materials" on July 20, 2026, directing military procurement toward domestic and allied sources of critical minerals, including antimony. Nova's integrated Alaska supply chain connects the Estelle mine site with a planned refinery at Port MacKenzie, with first pilot-plant production targeted for 2027.
What the executive order requires
The United States remains heavily import-reliant on antimony, a mineral Nova's filing describes as essential to economic resilience and defense capabilities. The July 20 order establishes that military equipment and the materials needed to build and sustain it must come from the United States or trusted allied nations. End-to-end supply chain traceability is mandated, covering raw material origin verification and assessment of foreign ownership and supply risks, with materials from entities linked to designated foreign adversaries restricted. Defense contractors face a near-term obligation to qualify alternative domestic and allied suppliers, a requirement Nova's filing says increases demand for compliant sources.
Port MacKenzie: where the project stands
| Item | Status |
|---|---|
| Engineering and design | Complete |
| Equipment procurement | Underway; key components delivered or in transit |
| Construction start | Expected in coming months (projected) |
| First pilot-plant production | Targeted 2027 (projected) |
The facility is designed as a scalable processing hub to treat concentrate from Estelle and potential third-party domestic and allied feedstocks. CEO Christopher Gerteisen stated that the order aligns with the U.S. policy direction that has informed Nova's work at Estelle and Port MacKenzie, and that the company remains focused on its 2027 production target.
The Estelle project context
Estelle hosts two defined multi-million-ounce gold resources and more than 20 prospects along a 35-kilometre mineralized trend in the Tintina Gold Belt, a province with a documented gold endowment exceeding 220 million ounces that includes Kinross Gold Corporation's Fort Knox Gold Mine. Nova's $43.4 million award covers the antimony strand of Estelle specifically. Both the mine and the Port MacKenzie refinery are in Alaska.