International Graphite’s Managing Director and chief executive Andrew Worland, Chairman Phil Hearse, CFO Robert Hodby and US graphite specialist Chris Whiteley with sample product from International Graphite’s graphite micronising facility at Collie, WA. A commercial scale plant is currently being built at Collie. Photo: International Graphite.
The company developing the Springdale graphite resource near Hopetoun is planning a second processing plant for the critical mineral in Europe, in addition to the one it is building at Collie WA.
International Graphite has joined forces with Arctic Graphite AS — a subsidiary of Norwegian construction giant LNS — and Graphite Investment Partners to establish a new expandable graphite production facility in Germany.
International Graphite issued a statement saying the project would support Europe’s efforts to secure critical minerals in the face of rising geopolitical tensions and supply chain risk.
Graphite Investment Partners Principal Aidan Nania said graphite was subject to supply disruption more than any other commodity.
“The demand fundamentals for expandable graphite are compelling,” he said.
“There is little or no production of this product in the EU which accounts for approximately 30 per cent of global consumption outside of China.”
GIP has committed to arranging funding for at least 50 per cent of the estimated capital cost of the facility (approximately €5.0 million or almost $9million AUD) and has issued a non-binding letter of interest to arrange up to $10 million in total funding.
The new plant is targeted to produce around 3,000 tonnes of product a year and to be operational in 2027.
A site has been identified in Germany for construction of the facility.
The facility would be owned in a 50/50 joint venture between International Graphite and Arctic Graphite. Arctic’s shareholders include Leonhard Nilsen & Sonner AS, one of Norway’s biggest earthmoving and mining contractors with graphite experience as previous owner and operator of Norway’s Skaland graphite mine.
This will be International Graphite’s second processing facility and a key milestone in the Company’s global growth strategy to strengthen allied supply chains amid rising geopolitical risk and supply disruptions from China and Africa.
Mine to market supply
International Graphite has been piloting downstream graphite processing in Australia for the past six years and is currently building Australia’s first commercial graphite micronising plant at Collie, in Western Australia.
It is expected to commence production in 2027.
The company hopes to establish an international network of processing facilities that could ultimately produce a range of graphite products, from micronised and expandable to advanced battery anode material, using natural graphite its 100 per cent-owned Springdale graphite resource.
International Graphite chief executive Andrew Worland said the German agreement with Arctic and GIP, and the support of associates of the calibre of ProGraphite and Hensen, was a terrific endorsement of International Graphite’s strategy.
