IperionX — Halifax County’s newest manufacturer — is making progress on its campus along U.S. 58 and plans to open by the middle of this year.

That’s delayed slightly from its original target for the first quarter. Company officials didn’t respond to a question from The Gazette concerning the delay.

The company first announced in September 2022 it was bringing a titanium demonstration facility to Halifax County.

That facility will be located in a 50,000-square-foot building — a former shell building constructed to lure a tenant — in the Southern Virginia Technology Park on the outskirts of South Boston, and IperionX has plans ultimately to expand the floor space by an extra 100,000-square-feet.

That marks an anticipated investment of $82 million and about 108 new jobs.

In December, the board of directors for the Halifax County Industrial Development Authority approved a lease for a 15,000-square-foot building at 1092 Confroy Drive.

The second facility will be for an advanced manufacturing center with office, research and development and advanced manufacturing space.

Last week, IperionX reported “significant progress” in getting its commercial-scale titanium metal manufacturing capabilities up and running.

“IperionX is nearing an important milestone designed to revitalize the U.S. titanium supply chain with a unique end-to-end solution that spans from recycled scrap titanium to high-performance forged titanium products,” IperionX CEO Anastasios (Taso) Arima said in a statement. “Our patented titanium technologies can produce a wide range of high-performance titanium products — including angular and spherical titanium powders, semi-finished titanium products, near-net titanium shape products and additively manufactured titanium components — with superior energy efficiency, lower costs, and lower environmental impacts.”

A large-sale titanium furnace is being transported from a European manufacturer to Halifax County, the company reported last week. Known as a HAMR titanium furnace, the device was recently assembled and passed factory tests overseen by an IperionX technical team.

It’s expected to be installed in the second quarter of the year. The company hopes to begin production of titanium metal in the middle of the year.

The Virginia facility is based on an IperionX pilot plant in Utah.

“We have a strong pipeline of potential U.S. government funding and incentive programs designed to re-shore and secure critical mineral and metal supply chains,” Arima said. “The commissioning of our Virginia titanium manufacturing campus will be a pivotal step forward, positioning IperionX with an innovative end-to-end titanium supply chain capable of manufacturing high-performance and low-cost titanium products for advanced American industries.”

Last year, the United States Department of Defense announced it was supporting the ramping up of production of titanium powder with a $12.7 million award via the Defense Production Act Investment to IperionX.

The company’s goal is to create a sustainable domestic titanium supply chain, reducing the United States’ reliance on titanium imports from foreign nations for defense and advanced manufacturing industries, according to a release issued by IperionX.

The advanced manufacturing center is on schedule, the company said, and should be ready by the second quarter of this year.

This second facility will be for an advanced manufacturing center with office, research and development, and advanced manufacturing space, according to a news release from the IDA.

The advanced manufacturing center is expected to open during the second quarter of the year.

 From The Gazette Virginian