RANKED: World’s top 10 graphite projects
Graphite grabbed recent news headlines when China announced it will require export permits for some graphite products. China is the world’s top graphite producer and exporter and it refines more than 90% of the world’s graphite into the material that is used in virtually all EV battery anodes. The graphite curbs are intensifying efforts among miners outside China to bring graphite projects to fruition.
The West’s dependency on Chinese supply has seen graphite recently added to the US Department of Energy’s list of critical raw materials. According to a Benchmark Mineral Intelligence analysis, this year lithium-ion batteries will overtake the steel industry as the number one source of demand for graphite.
In a snapshot of the world’s future supply, Mining Intelligence data provides a ranking of the largest projects, based on contained graphite resource in the Measured+Indicated categories.
# 1 Balama North/Nicanda Hill
Development status: Stalled in feasibility
Triton Minerals’ Balama/Nicanda Hill in Mozambique takes the top spot with 41.7 million tonnes (mt) of contained graphite. The project is in the Cabo Delgado region of Northern Mozambique, the same province as Syrah Resources’ Balama mine, which is the world’s largest graphite producing facility. The project is currently stalled and the Cabo Delgado province has seen unrest due to Islamic extremist insurgency.
#2 Sarytogan
Development status: Prefeasibility
In second place is Sarytogan Graphite Limited’s flagship project with 36.3 mt of contained graphite in the Karaganda province of Central Kazakhstan, which is progressing though a pre-feasibility study.
#3 Lac Gueret
Development status: Preliminary Economic Assessment
Mason Recources’ Lac Gueret project in northeastern Quebec is in third place with 11.3 mt of contained graphite. Mason released a preliminary economic assessment in January, and has entered into an option and joint venture agreement with Nouveau Monde Graphite to collaborate to advance the project.
#4 Mahenge
Development status: Permitting
In fourth place is Blackrock Mining’s Mahenge project in Tanzania with 9.3 mt of contained graphite.
The Mahenge project is spread across 324 square kilometres of exploration tenements in Tanzania’s Ulanga district, approximately 250 km north of the border with Mozambique.
#5 Siviour
Development status: Permitting
The Siviour project, owned by Renascor Resources, is in fifth place with 5.2 mt of contained graphite. The Siviour graphite project is located 15 kilometres from Arno Bay on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula.
#6 Epanko
Development status: Permitting
The Epanko graphite project in Tanzania takes the sixth spot with 4.8 mt of contained graphite. Owner Ecograf Ltd in April signed a framework agreement with the Tanzanian Government for the Epanko project, which will provide supply diversity and scale-up optionality.
#7 La Loutre
Development status: Prefeasibility
Lomiko Metals’ La Loutre project in Quebec is in seventh place with 2.9 mt contained graphite. The most concentrated supply of natural flake graphite projects is found in the Grenville geological Province of Quebec — and Lomiko’s La Loutre project is at the centre.
#8 Malingunde
Development status: Prefeasibility
NGX Limited’s Malingunde project in Malawi is in eighth place with 2.733 mt of contained graphite.
#9 Balama Central
Development status: Permitting
Nearly neck and neck with Malingunde, Tirupati Graphite’s Balama Central project in Mozambique is next with 2.732 mt. Flake graphite from Balama Central is of fine grade and used as feedstock for the graphite anode market.
#10 Bunyu
Development status: Feasibility
Rounding out our list is Volt Resources’ Bunyu project in Tanzania with 2.3 mt of contained graphite. The project is 140km from the deep-water port of Mtwara in the East African country.
More data is at Mining Intelligence.
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6 Comments
Stefan Bernstein
You are missing Greenroc Mining’s Amitsoq graphite project in Greenland from you list of largest projects worldwide We recently released a positive PEA and e have a MII resource of 23Mt @ 20.4% graphite for 4.7Mt of contained graphite
Amanda Stutt
Hi Stefan, thanks for reaching out. Our ranking is based on the Measured+Indicated Resource and doesn’t include the Inferred Resource.
Our data lists the Amitsoq M+I Resource is 1.57 Mt graphite.
Best,
Amanda
PJA
Hello Amanda
Thanks for your article.
I think your graphite resource figures for Volt Resources (M+I Resources 40m mt and Contained 2.3mt) are incorrect.
According to Volt’s own website, their graphite resource is…..461 million ton @ 4.9% TGC for 22.6 million ton contained graphite & Proven Reserve of 127 million ton @ 4.4% TGC.
Can you please reflect the correct figures in your article.? Thanks.
Amanda Stutt
Hi Paul,
Thanks for reaching out -According to the 2023 Feasibility study, Bunyu project has 2 stages of development and the M+I Resource from our ranking refers to Stage 1.
Cheers,
Amanda
PJA
Thanks for your reply Amanda….but your article should be more specific and indicate the the figures quoted in your article on Bunyu’s proven graphite resource relate to Stage 1 only.
The current proven graphite resource figures highlighted in your report on Bunyu do not represent the total proven graphite resource for the entire project and are therefore misleading.
Maybe on the same basis; figures you are quoting for the other nine companies highlighted in your article relate to a specific stage and are not the total indicated graphite resource?
Amanda Stutt
Hi Paul – you can have a more in depth look at the data at Mining Intelligence. Meanwhile, I have directed your comments to our analysts and will send their response.