Shift to Mined Graphite Increases Risk To Supply for EVs and Battery Makers

"Mining companies are ramping up supplies of critical minerals for rechargeable batteries such as lithium, cobalt and nickel. Graphite, a key battery component, has largely been overlooked.

That is about to change. Some of the world's biggest auto and battery makers and the U.S. government are racing to secure graphite supplies amid looming signs of shortages of the mineral suitable for batteries. So far graphite prices haven't reflected the tight supply.

"Graphite always seems to be the forgotten battery material, yet it's in half the battery," said Brent Nykoliation, executive vice president of NextSource Materials Inc., which is developing a graphite project in Madagascar. "It's the largest raw material in the battery."

Graphite is unusual among materials seen as crucial for the energy transition because it can be man-made as well as mined. Most lithium-ion batteries use synthetic graphite, which is produced from a petroleum byproduct, mostly in China.

But using an energy-intensive, high-emissions process to produce graphite defeats the purpose of the batteries that power EVs and store renewable energy. The production of synthetic graphite can be four times more carbon-intensive than that of natural graphite, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, which tracks the battery supply chain.

As battery and auto makers look to reduce carbon emissions in their supply chains, more are looking to natural graphite, analysts say. The problem: The increase in demand is running headlong into a supply shortage.

By 2030, natural graphite is projected to have among the largest supply shortfalls of battery materials, with demand outstripping expected supplies by about 1.2 million metric tons, according to Benchmark.

Graphite, a crystalline form of carbon, is the primary material in the anode side of most lithium-ion batteries, which can contain roughly five to 10 times as much graphite as other key materials like lithium. About 80% of the world's mined graphite comes from China.

Existing production for graphite's other uses such as steelmaking has kept the market well supplied to this point and prevented price spikes, but analysts expect that to change as batteriesbecome the largest source of demand.

After largely remaining flat since 2020, battery-grade natural-graphite prices gained 25% in 2022 to $812.50 per metric ton, according to Benchmark. Battery-grade lithium, meanwhile, nearly doubled last year.

The looming shortfall in natural graphite is prompting battery and car makers to try to lock in production now. In the past year, companies such as Tesla Inc. and battery giant Panasonic Holdings Corp. have signed agreements with upstart suppliers to ensure adequate supplies.

Late last year, the U.S. gave grants totaling about $500 million to three graphite producers -- Syrah Resources Ltd., Novonix Ltd. and Anovion -- to kick-start domestic supply using money from the 2021 infrastructure bill. Novonix and Anovion say they make synthetic graphite with less emissions.

The government also tied new tax credits for electric cars to how much material comes from domestic sources or trade partners, increasing the focus on graphite.

"The dynamics and the speed at which supply and demand are getting into imbalance are unprecedented," said Shaun Verner, chief executive of Syrah Resources. "It really is a transformative stage of growth for the industry."

Recent price increases for lithium and other metals have pushed up battery prices, reversing years of falling lithium-ion cell costs for auto makers. The rise has prompted car companies to focus more on their supply chains. Raw materials accounted for roughly 70% of the cost of a lithium-ion battery in 2022, up from 40% in 2015, according to Benchmark.

Syrah has an agreement to supply Tesla and plans to ship mined graphite from a production site in Mozambique to a processing facility in Louisiana, where it would be turned into battery-ready material. The company is set to receive as much as $220 million from the infrastructure bill and got conditional approval for a $107 million loan from the Energy Department's loan-programs office.

Turning to supplies in unstable parts of the world has its own issues. Some analysts have raised concerns that the mine in Mozambique is near a conflict area where attacks by Islamic rebels have fueled a humanitarian crisis.

Mr. Verner said the company has experienced no major security concerns and works closely with government officials and local security. An Energy Department spokesman said the loan-programs office does extensive due diligence.

The graphite supply chain is expected to remain messy for years because of the need to mine it then ship it around the world for processing. It often takes several years to get new mines and processing facilities permitted and built.

There are few cheap substitutes for graphite in a battery's anode, which drives performance as lithium ions move from the cathode to the anode and back again. Some companies, such as Sila Nanotechnologies Inc. and Group14 Technologies, are developing anodes that use silicon as the main material, which they say is more efficient than graphite. But battery experts say graphite will remain the primary anode material for years to come.

"Graphite is the working man inside the battery," said John DeMaio, president of the graphene division of processor Graphex Group Ltd. "The demand is going to do nothing but increase."

Graphex has operations in China and is planning its first U.S. plant in Michigan. The company is also looking at processing graphite from a mine in Canada to ensure its material can help auto makers qualify for the new tax credits.

The legislation has spurred activity from startups that for years have struggled to compete with China.

"Having the incentives linked directly to the sources of the material has really helped," said Julie Paquet, a vice president at Canadian producer Nouveau Monde Graphite, which is attempting to produce graphite near Quebec and recently announced plans for a larger mine. "It has just accelerated development."" [1]

1. Shift to Mined Graphite Increases Risk To Supply for EVs and Battery Makers
Patterson, Scott; Ramkumar, Amrith.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]. 26 Jan 2023: B.1.