IperionX advances titanium supply chain expansion with $12.5M DoD funding
IperionX, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, has announced that the US Department of Defense (DoD) has obligated $12.5 million under IperionX’s previously announced $47.1 million award to strengthen the US Defense Industrial Base by accelerating the scale-up of a resilient, low-cost, and fully integrated US mineral-to-metal titanium supply chain.
In response to the strategic need for increased production capacity of domestic primary titanium metal and manufactured titanium components, the project scope under the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) programme has been revised to prioritise accelerated expansion of IperionX’s titanium metal and manufacturing production capacity at IperionX’s Virginia Titanium Manufacturing Campus.
The $12.5 million will be applied to purchase orders for long-lead, major capital equipment required for the next stage of capacity scale-up to over 1,000 metric tons per year at the Virginia Titanium Manufacturing Campus. Major incremental capacity categories include titanium deoxygenation, sintering and Powder Metallurgy consolidation systems; near-net-shape component manufacturing and ancillary infrastructure upgrades. IperionX will provide a market update with additional details on the accelerated growth plans for the Virginia Titanium Manufacturing Campus.
This funding follows the $5 million previously obligated to advance the titanium, zircon and rare earth critical mineral-rich ‘Titan Critical Minerals Project’ in Tennessee to shovel-ready status, with a definitive feasibility study underway and on track for completion in the first half of 2026.
Total funding obligations received under the DoD award now stand at $17.5 million, with the remaining $29.6 million expected to be obligated by the DoD over the contract term to support additional titanium production capacity at the Virginia Titanium Manufacturing Campus.
Anastasios (Taso) Arima, IperionX CEO, shared, “This new U.S. Government obligation allows IperionX to move immediately to secure long-lead capital equipment and lock in manufacturing slots with key suppliers. It accelerates our imminent Virginia expansion beyond 1,000 tpa of high-performance titanium manufactured products, and advances a fully integrated, low-cost and traceable American titanium supply chain for defence and commercial customers. We are executing a multi-phase modular scale-up in titanium production and manufacturing capacity — and this commitment from the DoD is a strong endorsement of our technology, our team, and our mission to reshore a resilient titanium production supply chain in the United States.”
