Queensland-based Graphinex has finalised a major agreement to supply graphite to a new Japanese refinery.
The deal involves industry giants Idemitsu, Marubeni Corporation, and NSC, aiming to establish a robust "graphite-to-anode" pipeline that bypasses traditional reliance on Chinese processing.
Under the terms of the agreement, the miner will ship up to 50,000 tonnes of graphite annually from its Esmeralda Project near Townsville.
The material is destined for a specialised facility in Japan, with operations slated to begin in 2028.
The partnership follows a surge in geopolitical momentum for critical minerals; Graphinex was notably one of seven firms backed by the US Export-Import Bank under the $8.5 billion Australia-US minerals pact.
Demand has been further sharpened by the Trump administration's initiative to build a US$12 billion stockpile of critical minerals.
Graphinex stated the deal "materially de-risks" the development of secure, allied-nation supply chains at a time of "rapidly tightening global supply."