Graphite One selects engineering firm for graphite production equipment procurement

Graphite One Inc. has signed an engineering contract with a specialized firm to advance the development of its graphite production facility in Conneaut, Ohio. The company plans to establish a domestic synthetic graphite production capacity of 25,000 tonnes per year by the fourth quarter of 2028.

To achieve this goal, Graphite One has engaged a global engineering and production line integration provider to design and integrate manufacturing equipment for the Ohio site. This contract aims to optimize the facility's manufacturing systems for commercial-scale production.

The initiative is part of Graphite One's strategy to create a fully integrated, US-based graphite supply chain. This supply chain will provide battery-grade graphite materials for electric vehicles (EVs), energy storage systems, and defense applications.

The engineering team will offer production line integration services, including equipment interface design, process integration, production flow optimization, and operational readiness planning. The Ohio facility will produce active anode materials (AAM) using materials sourced from the company's Graphite Creek deposit in Alaska.

Graphite One has secured the Conneaut site, which benefits from direct rail access, Great Lakes shipping access, and existing high-capacity electrical service, through an agreement with a CN Railway subsidiary. The company has completed geotechnical drilling and initiated the environmental assessment and permitting process, aiming for completion by the first quarter of 2027.

The company's strategy involves mining at Graphite Creek, transporting materials via the Port of Nome, processing them into advanced graphite and anode materials in Ohio, and potentially establishing a co-located recycling facility for graphite and other battery materials, contingent on project financing.

Graphite One plans a phased development approach, starting with an initial capacity of 10,000 tonnes per year of AAM finishing and blending operations by the fourth quarter of 2027. This will expand to 25,000 tonnes per year of synthetic graphite and graphitization output by the fourth quarter of 2028.

"The execution of this engineering contract and the advancement of our Conneaut site represent important steps in building what we believe can become one of North America’s leading domestic sources of synthetic graphite AAM," said Anthony Huston, President and CEO of Graphite One. "With the site secured, critical infrastructure advantages in place, engineering activities underway, and a clear phased development strategy, we now have a defined, de-risked path toward establishing 25,000 tonnes per year of synthetic graphite capacity by the end of 2028."