Zeotech Limited’s AusPozz™ PFS Delivers $406M After‑Tax NPV, 42% IRR & 2.1‑Year Payback on Australia’s First Low‑Carbon Metakaolin Facility

Tuesday, June 24, 2025
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Zeotech LIMITED has released a promising feasibility study for its low‐carbon supplementary cementitious material project. Leveraging premium Queensland kaolin, the venture forecasts robust economics (42% post‐tax IRR, $406m NPV) with a 2.1‑year payback and significant carbon reductions. A Definitive Feasibility Study is set to begin in Q3 2025.

Zeotech Limited has released a detailed feasibility study outlining a transformative project to manufacture high‐reactivity metakaolin—a low-carbon supplementary cementitious material that can replace traditional cement in concrete. The Preliminary Feasibility Study (PFS) confirms that their integrated operation, which will harness ultra‐pure clay from the Toondoon deposit in Queensland, is both technically feasible and economically robust over a 20‐year life of mine. The study presents a compelling financial case, with after‐tax net present value (NPV) of A$406 million and an internal rate of return (IRR) of 42%, while the initial capital cost is estimated at around A$115 million with a payback period of just 2.1 years. The project is designed to produce a nameplate capacity of 300,000 dry tonnes per annum of the key AusPozz product, with additional production streams for Kaolin Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) and a cosmetic grade variant. The PFS details that early revenue will be driven by DSO sales while the new manufacturing facility—set to be developed at the Port of Bundaberg—rises, with full production targeted by early 2029. Extensive drilling programs, meticulous resource modelling, and comprehensive testwork (including pilot-scale trials that demonstrate enhanced compressive strength, reduced shrinkage, and improved durability in concrete) underpin the technical validation. Updated metallurgical analysis has also revised the kaolinite content of Toondoon’s ore clays to above 90%, ensuring the product’s high performance and market competitiveness. In addition to strong production metrics, the study emphasizes significant environmental benefits. When used to replace 30% of cement in concrete, the metakaolin product could reduce carbon emissions by an estimated 229,800 tonnes per annum—a reduction equivalent to taking roughly 53,600 petrol-powered cars off the road or planting millions of tree seedlings over a decade. The project also promises regional economic benefits, generating stable local employment at both the mine site and manufacturing facility and bolstering infrastructure within rural Queensland. The financial assessment in the PFS is sensitive to key variables such as sales price and operating costs, yet even under less-favorable conditions, the project remains positive. Early off-take interest is highlighted by signed memoranda of understanding with major industry players, which bolsters market confidence in the product’s demand both domestically and internationally. Zeotech’s planned transition to a Definitive Feasibility Study in Q3 2025, leading to a final investment decision in early 2026, outlines a clear and measured pathway to commercialisation. For beginner traders, the key takeaways are: a robust and well-validated project with attractive return metrics, a relatively low initial funding requirement supported by strong early cash flows, and a significant environmental angle that aligns with global net-zero carbon efforts. Risks remain, including potential delays and price fluctuations, but opportunities such as mineral resource expansion and early revenue generation provide notable upside potential. Overall, Zeotech’s project is positioned to become a leading domestic producer of a sustainable, high-performance construction material that could reshape the building sector while delivering strong financial returns.

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