EcoGraf finalising plans for new battery graphite facility in Australia

by Margaret Lau
EcoGraf is also developing the Epanko graphite project (above) in Tanzania. Image: EcoGraf
Australian company EcoGraf said today it is finalising detailed engineering design and procurement plans as the next step towards building its first battery graphite facility.

The announcement comes less than a year after EcoGraf said trials of its purification process to recycle lithium-ion battery anode material, conducted in Germany, showed the process increased the carbon purity of the recycled material by over 200% and achieved a carbon content of more than 99%.

The company submitted a $35m (£25.5m) project debt facility application to Export Finance Australia in the last quarter for its planned Western Australia processing facility near Perth – for which the state government has already allocated land.

"Supporting reports are being compiled and will be completed shortly, following which final credit approvals are expected – a process that typically takes up to two months,” EcoGraf confirmed in a statement.

Manufacturing hub

The new facility will be a manufacturing hub for spherical graphite products for export to Asia, Europe and North America and drive the company’s mission to become a supplier of "eco-friendly graphite” to the battery and electric vehicle sector.

"In time, the battery graphite production base will be expanded to include additional facilities in Europe and North America to support the global transition to clean, renewable energy in the coming decade,” EcoGraf said.

The company is also developing the TanzGraphite natural flake graphite business, starting with its Epanko graphite project in Tanzania, about 370km from Dar es Salaam. Epanko is forecast to produce 60,000 tonnes of natural flake graphite products each year, which will provide additional feedstock for the spherical graphite processing facilities.

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EcoGraf signs battery recycling agreement with Sungeel Hitech 'to close carbon loop'