Nouveau Monde Graphite has revealed plans to begin production of coated spherical purified graphite (CSPG) by early 2022, with a new production line at its plant in Bécancour in Quebec, Canada.
Under the first phase of production of coated spherical purified graphite, the Canadian firm will install a coating line that will be capable of producing up to 2,000 tonnes of the commodity per year.
Nouveau Monde expects there will be scope for considerable expansion in the subsequent phase 2. The company said that it will continue its research and development (R&D) initiatives as well.
The coated spherical graphite anode material is one of the critical materials for the production of lithium-ion batteries, said the company.
Nouveau Monde president and CEO Eric Desaulniers said: “Our ongoing commercial discussions with the end-users have confirmed the importance of coated products that are ready for use in lithium-ion battery anodes as part of our international growth strategy.
“By covering the entire value chain from the mine to advanced materials, we are proposing to provide our customers with a turnkey solution that combines high quality, a carbon-neutral footprint, low costs, and guaranteed traceability.”
According to Nouveau Monde, the new coating line is planned to transform the spherical and flake graphite that is purified at the company’s purification facilities.
For this, the new production line will use the established coating process for which laboratory testing had demonstrated superior performance compared to the anode material sourced from commercial producers in Asia.
The company said that it has completed detailed engineering on long-lead equipment and has started procurement. Nouveau Monde intends to begin the production and sales of coated spherical purified graphite in the first quarter of next year.
Nouveau Monde secures Québec funding for the project
Nouveau Monde has secured a grant from the Québec Government to partly fund the development of its spherical graphite coating initiative.
Québec Minister of Energy and Natural Resources and Minister responsible for the Côte-Nord region Jonatan Julien said: “Our government is proud to support the activities of Nouveau Monde Graphite, a company involved in the battery market.
“The objective of our program is to support companies in carrying out their research and development projects in order to innovate and improve the competitiveness of Québec’s mining industry.”
