Marubeni Invests in Australian Mineral Sands Project
11/10/2025, 6:31:40 PM | United States | Australia
Aerospace
Marubeni invests AUD15 million with RZ and JX to develop Australian mineral sands producing titanium feedstocks and rare-earth monazite.
Marubeni has agreed to invest AUD 15 million in RZ Resources to advance a 100% RZ-owned mineral sands development in New South Wales and an existing mineral separation plant in Brisbane, with options to acquire up to a 5% equity stake.
JX Advanced Metals joined RZ as a strategic partner in June 2025. The three companies will jointly progress the Copi Mine development, upgrade the Brisbane separation facility, and refine the definitive feasibility study and Environmental Impact Statement.
The Project targets heavy mineral sands products—rutile and ilmenite (titanium feedstocks), zircon, and monazite (a rare-earth-bearing concentrate)—for aerospace, defense, and permanent magnet supply chains. Located in geopolitically stable Australia and sizable among undeveloped deposits, the operation is positioned to diversify supply for nations that rely heavily on imports.
The Project has attracted a letter of interest from the Export-Import Bank of the United States and conditional support from Export Finance Australia. Marubeni plans to leverage the investment to secure upstream supply and explore midstream and downstream integration to add value across critical-minerals supply chains.