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operations","falling-natural-graphite-prices-pressure-east-african-operations","article/falling-natural-graphite-prices-pressure-east-african-operations",{"_uid":547,"date":548,"tags":549,"editor":553,"content":563,"excerpt":665,"featured":51,"reporter":666,"_editable":670,"component":671,"seo_title":543,"categories":672,"visibility":679,"author_company":49,"featured_image":680,"seo_description":665,"author_full_name":49,"author_job_title":49,"formattedDate":684,"formattedArticleDate":685},"7886b3d1-7892-4040-97eb-ddfa8e7b9727","2024-12-10 00:00",[550],{"slug":551,"name":552},"graphite-prices","Graphite prices",[554],{"slug":555,"name":556,"content":557},"didi-bostock","Didi Bostock",{"job_title":558,"image":559,"bio":561,"linkedin":562},"Editor - Energy Transition & Economics",{"filename":560},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/512x512/2c5ca5c1a3/didi-bostock.jpeg","Didi is the Energy Transition & Economics Editor at Benchmark, covering a broad range of markets across the energy transition. His remit spans from downstream sectors such as BESS and EVs, through to midstream such as new technologies and battery production, to upstream critical minerals mining. He also leads on financial analysis across these supply chains, alongside in-depth policy analysis.\n","https://www.linkedin.com/in/didi-bostock-656342198/",{"type":564,"content":565},"doc",[566,573,578,583,592,599,604,617,622,627,632,637,642,655,660],{"type":567,"attrs":568,"content":569},"paragraph",{"textAlign":49},[570],{"text":571,"type":572},"Global small flake natural graphite prices are at historic lows, leading several operations in East Africa to halt operations.","text",{"type":567,"attrs":574,"content":575},{"textAlign":49},[576],{"text":577,"type":572},"“Downward pressure on small mesh prices is due to a market desire, especially in China, for greater synthetic graphite material in the anode chemistry mix and structural overcapacity in China,” said Alex Albinski, an analyst at Benchmark.",{"type":567,"attrs":579,"content":580},{"textAlign":49},[581],{"text":582,"type":572},"“Continued downward price pressure will weigh on the progress of ex-China natural graphite supply development, by making the case for further or continued financing of projects more challenging,” Albinski added.",{"type":567,"attrs":584,"content":585},{"textAlign":49},[586],{"type":587,"attrs":588},"image",{"id":49,"alt":589,"src":590,"title":49,"source":49,"copyright":49,"meta_data":591},"","https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/383ca14938/bm-global-small-flake-natural-graphite-prices-are-at-historic-lows2x.png",{},{"type":593,"attrs":594,"content":596},"heading",{"level":595,"textAlign":49},4,[597],{"text":598,"type":572},"How have low prices affected miners in East Africa?",{"type":567,"attrs":600,"content":601},{"textAlign":49},[602],{"text":603,"type":572},"“As prices for certain mesh sizes have dipped to all time lows, miners and graphite aspirants in East Africa have had to pause production or scale back project plans,” said Adam Megginson, a senior analyst at Benchmark.",{"type":567,"attrs":605,"content":606},{"textAlign":49},[607,615],{"text":608,"type":572,"marks":609},"Walkabout Resources",[610],{"type":611,"attrs":612},"link",{"href":613,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":614},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/lithium-ions-leading-producers-in-2030-china-to-dominate-as-west-ramps-up?_branch_match_id=1544411170007735814&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=share&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXT0rNS87ITSzKzs3MSy1KzCnWSywo0MvJzMvWzwzO8ius8g4O8k%2ByrytKTUstKsrMS49PKsovL04tsnXOKMrPTQUA7VnLXUgAAAA%3D","url",{"text":616,"type":572},", who operated the Lindi Jumbo mine in Tanzania, went into administration in November having faced logistical issues exporting its material. ",{"type":567,"attrs":618,"content":619},{"textAlign":49},[620],{"text":621,"type":572},"Syrah Resources initially paused operations at its Balama mine in Mozambique as it had sufficient stock to meet orders. Operations have not resumed in Q4 as planned due to strikes preventing site access. Tirupati Graphite has also paused operations at its Sahamamy project in Madagascar.",{"type":593,"attrs":623,"content":624},{"level":595,"textAlign":49},[625],{"text":626,"type":572},"Why have prices for natural graphite decreased?",{"type":567,"attrs":628,"content":629},{"textAlign":49},[630],{"text":631,"type":572},"Cell makers are increasingly using synthetic graphite anode material over natural graphite alternatives. ",{"type":567,"attrs":633,"content":634},{"textAlign":49},[635],{"text":636,"type":572},"The increased market share of synthetic graphite in the anode chemistry mix has resulted in decreased demand for natural graphite anode, subsequently affecting demand further upstream. ",{"type":567,"attrs":638,"content":639},{"textAlign":49},[640],{"text":641,"type":572},"Moreover, under the overcapacity of anode material, players are being forced to undercut their competitors and retain market share from their customer base.",{"type":567,"attrs":643,"content":644},{"textAlign":49},[645,647,653],{"text":646,"type":572},"At the start of December, China ",{"text":648,"type":572,"marks":649},"announced export restrictions",[650],{"type":611,"attrs":651},{"href":652,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":614},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/china-tightens-graphite-export-controls-to-the-us?_branch_match_id=1544411180111505495&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=share&_branch_referrer=H4sIAAAAAAAAA8soKSkottLXT0rNS87ITSzKzs3MSy1KzCnWSywo0MvJzMvW9%2FFOCSjxq0hOCUiyrytKTUstKsrMS49PKsovL04tsnXOKMrPTQUAQ8S84kgAAAA%3D",{"text":654,"type":572}," on a number of materials to the US, one of them being graphite.",{"type":567,"attrs":656,"content":657},{"textAlign":49},[658],{"text":659,"type":572},"A lack of clarity over how the restrictions will be implemented or exactly what material will be affected means it is currently uncertain how the restrictions will affect the market. ",{"type":567,"attrs":661,"content":662},{"textAlign":49},[663],{"text":664,"type":572},"The restrictions are targeted at ultra high purity graphite material and not anode manufacturing. However, it may be extra checks to ensure graphite material does not meet this purity grade, combined with the immediate enactment of policy, could cause disruption.","Global small flake natural graphite prices are at historic lows, leading several operations in East Africa to halt operations. “Downward pressure on small mesh prices is due to a market desire, especially in China, for greater synthetic graphite material in the anode chemistry mix and structural overcapacity in China,” said Alex Albinski, an analyst at […]",[667],{"slug":555,"name":556,"content":668},{"job_title":558,"image":669,"bio":561,"linkedin":562},{"filename":560},"\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"article\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"7886b3d1-7892-4040-97eb-ddfa8e7b9727\", \"id\": \"\"}-->","article",[673,676],{"slug":674,"name":675},"critical-minerals","Critical Minerals",{"slug":677,"name":678},"graphite","Graphite","private",{"id":49,"alt":589,"name":589,"focus":589,"title":589,"source":589,"filename":681,"copyright":589,"fieldtype":682,"meta_data":683,"is_external_url":51},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/e2fc7a6dc0/bm-collage-prices-6.png","asset",{"alt":589,"title":589,"source":589,"copyright":589},"Dec 10, 2024","10th December 2024",[],[],1780670057804]