With graphite as one of the key materials in the manufacture of lithium-ion battery anodes, the Brisbane-based company aims to help meet growing demand in the rapidly expanding global battery industry.
The new facility, to be developed in partnership with the company’s strategic investors Idemitsu Australia and Vecco Group, will produce battery anode material from graphite ores sourced from drilling at Graphinex’s flagship graphite project in North Queensland.
The Esmeralda Graphite Project, south of Croydon, is Queensland’s largest deposit of graphite.
With the capacity to process and test 240 tonnes of graphite concentrate each year, Graphinex’s facility will shortcut delays associated with sending minerals overseas for testing.
The demonstration plant will also provide real time data for a bankable feasibility study on a commercial battery anode facility being undertaken at the same time, accelerating the delivery of this study by more than 12 months.
The project strongly aligns with the Queensland Government’s Queensland Battery Industry Strategy, boosting battery manufacturing capability and creating the next generation of jobs for Queenslanders.
It is expected that once operational, the demonstration plant will support approximately 10 new jobs for regional Queenslanders.
The $170 million Queensland’s Critical Minerals and Battery Technology Fund is supporting companies across the supply chain to boost local industry involvement in this emerging industry.