Graphite One (TSX-V:GPH) is advancing its Ohio active anode materials (AAM) facility toward 250,000 tonnes of synthetic graphite capacity, amid securing a key engineering contract.
Together, both of these milestones move the project into detailed execution and support Graphite One’s objective of establishing 25,000 tonnes per year of domestic synthetic graphite capacity by Q4 2028.
On 16 June, Graphite One executed the engineering contract with an anode production facility engineering firm to support detailed design and optimisation of the Ohio facility’s manufacturing systems.
This engagement advances the project from planning into detailed engineering execution and is expected to support equipment integration, construction readiness, commissioning efficiency, and overall project risk reduction.
Graphite One also intends to develop the Ohio facility through a phased approach designed to accelerate market entry while building substantial long-term production capacity. This strategy enables earlier customer qualification, initial revenue generation, and progressive de-risking of the larger capital investment required for full graphitisation capabilities.
The company is actively engaged in discussions with US government agencies to explore potential financial support for the Ohio facility’s construction.
Becoming a leading domestic source
CEO Anthony Huston says the execution of this engineering contract and the advancement of the Conneaut site represent important steps in building what is believed will become “one of North America’s leading domestic sources of synthetic graphite AAM”.
“With site secured, critical infrastructure advantages in place, engineering activities underway, and a clear phased development strategy, we now have a defined, de-risked path toward establishing 25,000 tonnes per year of synthetic graphite capacity by the end of 2028,” Huston says.
“These milestones reinforce our objective of creating a secure, fully integrated US graphite supply chain capable of supporting America’s growing electric vehicle, energy storage, and defense sectors while creating high-quality jobs in Ohio.”
Graphite is the largest component of a lithium-ion battery anode, representing 95% of anode material by weight. Despite its importance to electric vehicles, grid-scale energy storage, and defense technologies, the US is heavily dependent on imported graphite and processed anode materials, primarily from China.
According to S&P Global Mobility, North American graphite demand for battery applications is projected to grow from 56,000 tonnes in 2023 to more than 620,000 tonnes by 2030 — an elevenfold increase.
Graphite One’s targeted 25,000 tonnes per year capacity represents a meaningful step toward addressing this critical supply gap with secure, high-quality domestic production.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Graphite One
