Bloomberg recently reported that NextSource Materials, based in Canada, is poised to construct a graphite purification facility within Mauritius’ freeport zone.
The initial production capacity of the plant is projected to be 3,600 tons per annum, with plans for expansion to 14,400 tons after 2024, according to the news agency.
Sourced from NextSource’s mine in Madagascar, the graphite material will undergo processing at the Mer Rouge site in Mauritius to yield battery-grade graphite. This refined product, known as coated spherical purified graphite, is slated for export to leading global battery manufacturers from Port Louis, Mauritius’ capital.
NextSource emphasized: “Graphite demands are on the rise as valuable and broad applications are being researched and developed, ranging from consumer electronics to green energy storage and medical applications.” The company noted that while deposits are not scarce, the supply of battery-grade graphite “is much tighter.”
In June of the previous year, NextSource initiated graphite production at its Molo mine in Toliara, Madagascar.
Initially, the mine will produce 17,000 tons per annum (tpa) of flake graphite concentrate, with intentions to increase production to 150,000 tpa.
The flake graphite from the mine was sold to key customers, including Germany’s thyssenkrupp Materials Trading, under existing offtake agreements.
Additionally, NextSource supplied graphite to its Japanese technical partner, which provides value-added graphite to Japan’s largest anode processor, supplying several Japanese and international original equipment manufacturers with graphite anode material.
