International Graphite Ltd (ASX:IG6) is installing the new qualification scale micronising plant at its downstream graphite processing facility in Collie, Western Australia and is set to commission it next month.
Managing director and CEO Andrew Worland said the new plant was another milestone in the company’s plans to produce Western Australian battery anode material (BAM) for the growing lithium-ion battery market.
“We have made enormous progress in the past 18 months advancing our Springdale Graphite Project on the south-coast of Western Australia and establishing our initial processing base in Collie,” Worland said.
“The new micronising plant expands our micronising and spheroidising R&D facilities in Collie. It will be capable of producing between 100 and 200tpa of micronised graphite products at the quality necessary to secure customer sales agreements.”
Launching International Graphite brand into the global market
Micronised graphite is the first step in the production of BAM, and a by-product of the spheroidising process.
It can be sold as a conductive additive to battery cathodes, or for use in a wide range of industrial applications.
“The product from this plant will be used to launch the International Graphite brand into the global market, refine the case for commercial micronising, and develop graphite marketing and product handling experience that will be vital for the company’s BAM operations,” Mr Worland said.
“The plant can be tailored to shape micronised graphite to produce a spheroidised graphite. It will also be used to undertake testwork on graphite concentrates from Springdale and to support our BAM feasibility studies.
“Our focus now is to complete the necessary technical studies to integrate graphite concentrate production from Springdale with BAM facilities in Collie and to establish the company as a globally pre-eminent mine-to-market supplier of graphite for the lithium-ion battery market.”
Strong support from the government
International Graphite’s vision has received strong support from both Australian Federal and State Governments, receiving commitments totalling $6.7 million to date including $4.7 million from the national Critical Minerals Development Program.
The company continues to attract government attention, including a visit this week (10/10/23) by the Hon. Greg Combet AO, Chair of the Australian Government’s Net Zero Economy Board, and senior representatives of the Western Australian Department of Premier and Cabinet.
Read: International Graphite holds second largest graphite deposit in Australia following 3.4-times upgrade to resource
Last month, International Graphite achieved an impressive resource upgrade at the Springdale Graphite Project, which has now been revealed to be the second-largest graphite deposit in Australia.
An extensive drilling campaign over 2023 led to a 3.4-times upgrade to the Springdale mineral resource estimate, growing from 15.3 million tonnes at 6.0% total graphitic carbon (TGC) to 49.3 million tonnes at 6.5% TGC.
That resource also holds a higher-grade component of 28 million tonnes at 8.7% TGC, with 7.9 million tonnes at 9.3% TGC in the higher confidence indicated category and the remaining 20.1 million tonnes at 8.5% TGC categorised as inferred.