New graphite investment in Mauritius

New Supply Chain

Last year NextSource Materials announced that is willing to build its first battery anode facility (BAF) plant in Mauritius and is in advanced discussions in connection with an alternative location in the vicinity of the international freeport of Port Louis. Right now the company has applied to build a downstream BAF. The processing plant will produce battery-grade graphite and it will be set up at the Mer Rouge site. The graphite will be exploited in the Molo mine which is also owned by the NewSource Materials.

Processed product will be further transported to Port Louis from which it will begin its trip to global battery manufacturers.

Production capacities

The preliminary production was expected to be 3,600t per annum. The company has announced this year that the expected production can be increased after 2024 up to 14,400t per annum.

NextSource Materials has stated: “Graphite demands are on the rise as valuable and broad applications are being researched and developed ranging from consumer electronics, green energy storage, and medical applications.” This can be explained by the increased demand for graphite by EV producers as well as the U.S. initiative: Inflation Reduction Act. The initiative aims to reduce dependency on China’s resources.