A strategic partnership between Idemitsu Australia, Idemitsu Kosan, Marubeni, NSC and Graphinex is set to establish one of the region’s first fully integrated graphite-to-anode supply chains, linking Queensland natural graphite resources with Japanese battery anode manufacturing to support Asia’s rapidly expanding electric vehicle and energy-storage markets.
Under the agreement, Graphinex with support from Idemitsu will advance development of its natural graphite projects in Queensland, linking Marubeni and NSC’s plans to establish a new downstream graphite anode manufacturing facility in Japan. The partnership aims to supply cost-competitive, high-purity anode material directly into Japan’s growing battery market.
Japan, a producer of lithium-ion batteries, remains heavily reliant on imported anode material. With graphite making up more than 90 per cent of today’s battery anodes, securing reliable supply chains has become a national priority for manufacturers and government agencies worldwide.
Idemitsu Australia CEO, Steve Kovac, said the collaboration would strengthen supply security at a critical time for battery producers. “The global battery sector needs new, dependable supply routes, and this partnership delivers exactly that. By linking Queensland’s graphite resources with advanced anode manufacturing in Japan, we’re supporting industry growth, reinforcing regional supply chains, and advancing the clean-energy priorities of both countries.”
Graphinex Managing Director, Art Malone, said “Graphinex has the most promising natural graphite resource in the country, and this partnership gives us the opportunity to turn that into real economic value for the region. Working with Idemitsu, Marubeni and NSC brings the investment and capability needed to build a long-term industry around a local resource, creating jobs, developing new skills and strengthening Australia’s role in the critical minerals supply chain.”
The partnership will integrate mining, refining and anode manufacturing for the first time between the two nations. This approach is expected to improve supply chain resilience, diversify sourcing options, and reduce reliance on single-market suppliers which is a growing concern for the global battery sector.
For Queensland, the partnership represents another step forward in building the state’s emerging critical minerals capability, with opportunities for regional development, job creation and downstream processing. For Japan, establishing new refining and manufacturing capacity ensures battery producers can secure a consistent and scalable supply of high-quality anode material for electric vehicles and stationary energy storage systems.
Establishing downstream capability in Japan positions the partnership to serve battery producers directly and consistently, supporting both nations’ ambitions to strengthen critical minerals supply chains and accelerate the transition to clean energy.