US DoD awards IperionX up to $47.1M to strengthen US titanium supply chain
IperionX, based in Charlotte, North Carolina, USA, has announced that it has been awarded a contract for up to $47.1 million in funding by the US Department of Defense (DoD) to strengthen the US Defense Industrial Base by accelerating development of a resilient, low-cost, and fully-integrated US mineral-to-metal titanium supply chain.
This strategic partnership represents a combined investment of $70.7 million between IperionX and the DoD to fund a two-phase development programme over a two-year period. The agreement aims to strengthen US titanium production capabilities, supporting national security and economic resilience.
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As part of the initial phase, the DoD has obligated $5 million through the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) programme and IperionX will contribute $1 million, to expedite the Titan Critical Minerals Project in Tennessee to ‘shovel-ready’ status, an important milestone in securing a new domestic source of titanium, rare earths and zircon critical minerals.
The remaining $42.1 million awarded under the contract is expected to be obligated by the DoD over the duration of the agreement, with the funds to be applied to facilitating vertical integration and increased titanium production capacity at IperionX’s Titanium Manufacturing Campus in Virginia
IperionX CEO, Anastasios (Taso) Arima, shared, “This award is a pivotal moment in IperionX’s mission to re-shore the US titanium industry. For too long, American industry has been reliant on foreign-controlled supply chains for this critical high-strength metal. IperionX’s proprietary technologies, combined with the Titan Project, offer a pathway for a resilient end-to-end US titanium supply chain. We are proud to be selected by the DoD as a key partner in strengthening US industrial and defence capabilities.”
Titanium is a critical material for the aerospace, defence, automotive, space, and consumer industries, but its high cost and reliance on foreign supply chains have limited its broader adoption. IperionX’s Hydrogen-Assisted Metallothermic Reduction (HAMR) and Hydrogen Sintering and Phase Transformation (HSPT) technologies provide a pathway to produce low-cost, high-performance titanium.
In 2023, the DoD conducted market research to identify “practical alternatives to the current import-dominated supply chain for high-purity titanium sponge and titanium alloy metals.” The DoD stated, “the ideal solution will domestically mine, process, and refine ore, and recycle scrap titanium” to produce titanium products while providing “clear benefits regarding material quality and cost” and improving “process energy efficiency when compared to current methods (i.e. the Kroll or Hunter processes).”
This effort led the DoD to issue a competitive solicitation in 2024, seeking proposals from industry to improve resiliency in the titanium supply chain. The objective of the DoD’s solicitation was to “domestically source titanium through innovative processes” to produce titanium tin order to meet US military demand. Having been selected for award, IperionX’s proposal demonstrated a unique end-to-end solution to reshore the US titanium supply chain.
This funding from the DoD’s IBAS programme reflects the Trump Administration’s priority to secure domestic critical minerals and metals supply chains and to ensure resilient US manufacturing capabilities.
IperionX’s mineral-to-metal titanium supply chain looks to support advanced US industries by delivering a low-cost, scalable and resilient solution.
