Tronox Holdings and Japan’s JX Advanced Metals Corporation (JXAM) have entered into a key agreement to advance critical minerals and rare earth processing. The two companies will equally split an initial $32 million investment to conduct comprehensive engineering and feasibility studies.
The initiative aims to build an integrated supply chain to support rising global demand in robotics, defense, semiconductors, and electric vehicles. Under the agreement, the partners will evaluate a rare earth cracking and leaching plant in Western Australia and a dedicated oxide refinery in Mississippi, USA. The US project will also include a pilot facility to deliver early quantities of high-purity rare earth oxides.
By leveraging Tronox’s existing industrial sites, the venture hopes to reduce construction lead times and operating costs. The proposed Australian plant in the Rockingham Industrial Zone sits near Tronox’s Kwinana site, while the US refinery is planned next to its Hamilton facility. Together, the sites are designed to process up to 10,000 tonnes of rare earth oxides per year, tapping into Tronox’s mineral sands containing key elements such as neodymium, dysprosium, and terbium. The collaboration may also expand to other vital minerals like niobium, scandium, and zirconium.
If the initial studies confirm technical and financial viability, Tronox and JXAM plan to form a joint venture to build and run the facilities. Both partners are already in talks with government-backed lenders—including Export Finance Australia, the US Export-Import Bank, and Japanese financial bodies—to support project funding.
Tronox CEO John D. Romano shared that combining Tronox’s mining assets with JXAM’s refining experience paves the way for a competitive, dependable source of rare earths. JXAM President Hayashi Yoichi noted that securing these critical inputs is central to their advanced materials roadmap. Together, both firms hope this alliance helps diversify essential supply chains across the United States, Japan, and Australia.
