New graphite equipment for Collie plant

International Graphite has received works approval from the Western Australian Government to install new graphite micronising equipment at the company’s downstream research and development facility at Collie in the state’s south-west.

The equipment is in transit from North America and is expected to arrive at Fremantle Port next month for installation at the company’s downstream processing pilot plant which was commissioned in September, 2022.

Micronised graphite products have an established market of their own and are a by-product of the battery anode material production process.

Graphite has a wide range of uses including battery anode material (BAM), while refractory materials account for 43 per cent of global consumption.

The new ‘qualification plant’ is designed to process graphite concentrates to produce a commercial micronised graphite product for quality and performance evaluation by potential customers.

It will be capable of processing up to 200tpa of micronised graphite per annum, and will be used to develop graphite operating and materials handling expertise within the company.

In March this year International Graphite released a definitive feasibility study for the development of a commercial micronising plant with throughput of up to 4,000 tpa.

Managing Director and CEO Andrew Worland said a micronising operation would progress the Company’s plans to be the first mine-to-market producer in Western Australia of graphite battery anode materials for the growing lithium-ion battery market.

Worland said: “A commercial scale micronising facility would help establish markets for future micronised by-products from our planned Collie graphite BAM facility which would treat graphite concentrates produced from our 100 percent owned Springdale graphite project near Hopetoun in Western Australia.”

Further reading:
International Graphite fires up battery anode graphite pilot plant

Picture: International Graphite