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Mid-Nickel",103.5,99.73,3.78,13.78,6.78,[518,519,520,522,524,526,528,530,532,534,536,538],{"date":213,"value":512},{"date":216,"value":513},{"date":219,"value":521},99.19,{"date":222,"value":523},96.02,{"date":225,"value":525},98.23,{"date":467,"value":527},99.24,{"date":329,"value":529},101.29,{"date":339,"value":531},87.61,{"date":341,"value":533},92.44,{"date":344,"value":535},90.96,{"date":347,"value":537},92.24,{"date":350,"value":539},95.09,{"id":541,"uuid":542,"name":543,"slug":544,"full_slug":545,"content":546,"relatedArticles":804,"relatedVideos":805},112472402648276,"ba283ecc-b62a-43ba-8494-8c4be488f078","Flake graphite set to enter first deficit of gigafactory era","flake-graphite-set-to-enter-first-deficit-of-gigafactory-era","article/flake-graphite-set-to-enter-first-deficit-of-gigafactory-era",{"_uid":547,"date":548,"tags":549,"editor":550,"content":560,"excerpt":778,"featured":51,"reporter":779,"_editable":783,"component":784,"seo_title":543,"categories":785,"visibility":795,"author_company":49,"featured_image":796,"seo_description":778,"author_full_name":49,"author_job_title":49,"formattedDate":802,"formattedArticleDate":803},"e7df4df3-3c3e-4626-981b-54ee92bba0cc","2022-09-23 00:00",[],[551],{"slug":552,"name":553,"content":554},"matthew-bird","Matthew Bird",{"job_title":555,"image":556,"bio":558,"linkedin":559},"Senior Editor - Supply Chains & Data Visualisation",{"filename":557},"https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/512x512/14738033ec/matthew-bird.jpeg","Matthew writes, edits and produces content for Benchmark Intelligence and Benchmark Source across the whole mine to grid supply chain. He also acts as a liaison to the press. He has a PhD in electrochemistry from the University of Nottingham.","https://www.linkedin.com/in/birdmatthew/",{"type":561,"content":562},"doc",[563,570,575,580,585,590,595,600,605,610,619,634,639,646,651,656,661,666,671,676,681,686,691,696,699,704,709,716,721,726,739,748,753,758,763,768,773],{"type":564,"attrs":565,"content":566},"paragraph",{"textAlign":49},[567],{"text":568,"type":569},"Global electric vehicle makers may not find enough flake graphite for lithium ion batteries beginning this year, as growing demand for the critical material is expected to outrun its supply, with the gap set to only increase, as per the latest Benchmark Flake Graphite Forecast.","text",{"type":564,"attrs":571,"content":572},{"textAlign":49},[573],{"text":574,"type":569},"Natural flake graphite is often overshadowed by other electric vehicle battery raw materials such as lithium, nickel and even cobalt, but still remains a key proven anode material.",{"type":564,"attrs":576,"content":577},{"textAlign":49},[578],{"text":579,"type":569},"While flake graphite supply is expected to increase in the coming years as more companies such as China’s Shanshan, BTR Energy, Australia’s Syrah Resources and many others ramp up capacity or bring online their new projects, there will still be a shortfall amid booming demand for electric vehicles globally.",{"type":564,"attrs":581,"content":582},{"textAlign":49},[583],{"text":584,"type":569},"“The central demand driver for the graphite market is now the electric vehicle. It’s become the largest end market for flake graphite,” said George Miller, a Benchmark analyst.",{"type":564,"attrs":586,"content":587},{"textAlign":49},[588],{"text":589,"type":569},"“This is the first year that battery anode demand will overtake demand from the refractory and foundry industries. It is also the first year we expect a structural deficit for the graphite industry in the gigafactory era, with new supply now needed to meet rapidly rising near-term demand” Miller said.",{"type":564,"attrs":591,"content":592},{"textAlign":49},[593],{"text":594,"type":569},"The global flake graphite deficit volume is expected to be just over 20,000 tonnes by the end of this year, and is set to reach almost 1.7 million tonnes by the end of 2030 given all projects currently in the pipeline, according to the Benchmark Flake Graphite Forecast.",{"type":564,"attrs":596,"content":597},{"textAlign":49},[598],{"text":599,"type":569},"Accumulated stocks from previous years means the shortage is unlikely to feed through to price increases in the near-term, however. ",{"type":564,"attrs":601,"content":602},{"textAlign":49},[603],{"text":604,"type":569},"According to Benchmark analysis, the graphite market deficit is centred around -100 mesh flake material, which is preferred as an anode feedstock. Other larger flake grades can be used or processed to a finer flake size, but this would only be undertaken in relation to price premiums in non-lithium ion markets. ",{"type":564,"attrs":606,"content":607},{"textAlign":49},[608],{"text":609,"type":569},"Benchmark’s Flake Graphite Forecast assesses that total flake graphite demand will exceed 1.1 million tonnes by the end of this year and supply to be 1.1 million tonnes. By the end of 2030 flake graphite demand is expected to be about 4.3 million tonnes and supply to be about 2.64 million tonnes.",{"type":611,"attrs":612,"content":614},"heading",{"level":613,"textAlign":49},4,[615,617],{"text":616,"type":569},"Geopolitics",{"text":618,"type":569},"at play",{"type":564,"attrs":620,"content":621},{"textAlign":49},[622,624,632],{"text":623,"type":569},"This shortfall comes at a time when the ",{"text":625,"type":569,"marks":626},"US has just put into force a law",[627],{"type":628,"attrs":629},"link",{"href":630,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":631},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/us-inflation-reduction-act-puts-oem-raw-material-supply-deals-in-focus","url",{"text":633,"type":569}," that aims to significantly lower the battery material reliance on China. The climate change legislation aims that at least 40% of the value of the battery minerals must have been extracted or processed in the US or free trade partner countries by 2024 for automakers to obtain half of the tax incentives.",{"type":564,"attrs":635,"content":636},{"textAlign":49},[637],{"text":638,"type":569},"“China has really set the foundations to maintain its stronghold over the anode industry. I don’t think the West has the opportunity to catch-up but instead can strive to begin developing a localised supply chain; there is an opportunity there. The time is really now to develop those supply streams,” Miller said.",{"type":564,"attrs":640,"content":641},{"textAlign":49},[642,644],{"text":643,"type":569},"While new deals are expected to follow suit, already some movement is taking shape. Late last year, Syrah Resources, one of the key graphite mining companies, secured a deal with electric vehicle leader Tesla to supply anode material from its planned Vidalia ",{"text":645,"type":569},"facility in the US. The move is likely aimed at lowering Tesla’s reliance on Chinese supply of battery anode materials.",{"type":564,"attrs":647,"content":648},{"textAlign":49},[649],{"text":650,"type":569},"The electric vehicle maker is set to buy 8,000 tonnes of graphite anode material from the company’s Vidalia processing facility in Louisiana for four years at a fixed price once it starts commercial production.",{"type":564,"attrs":652,"content":653},{"textAlign":49},[654],{"text":655,"type":569},"Syrah eventually wants to expand production at the site to 40,000 tonnes a year by 2040.",{"type":611,"attrs":657,"content":658},{"level":613,"textAlign":49},[659],{"text":660,"type":569},"Flake Vs synthetic graphite ",{"type":564,"attrs":662,"content":663},{"textAlign":49},[664],{"text":665,"type":569},"The electric vehicle battery supply chain uses both flake graphite and its synthetic rival, commonly made using petroleum feedstock and coal-fired electricity, which has higher consistency and is more expensive than the natural version. ",{"type":564,"attrs":667,"content":668},{"textAlign":49},[669],{"text":670,"type":569},"Natural graphite is often mixed with synthetic graphite in lithium ion battery anodes to achieve a good balance of performance and cost.",{"type":564,"attrs":672,"content":673},{"textAlign":49},[674],{"text":675,"type":569},"While lithium ion demand for synthetic graphite currently exceeds flake, that mix is set to change in the coming years.  ",{"type":564,"attrs":677,"content":678},{"textAlign":49},[679],{"text":680,"type":569},"“Primarily, natural graphite is cheaper, but is also less energy intensive to process, and can provide enhanced energy density and power output in certain applications,” Miller said.",{"type":564,"attrs":682,"content":683},{"textAlign":49},[684],{"text":685,"type":569},"Demand for flake graphite used in electric vehicle anodes is forecast to overtake that of synthetic graphite by 2027, according to the Benchmark Flake Graphite Forecast, as improved purification capabilities, comparatively better conductivity and lower pricing factors come into play.",{"type":564,"attrs":687,"content":688},{"textAlign":49},[689],{"text":690,"type":569},"The share of flake graphite demand from the battery industry is set to increase from 35% this year to 47% by the end of 2027, overtaking synthetic graphite for the first time, which currently enjoys the bulk of anode demand, according to Benchmark. ",{"type":564,"attrs":692,"content":693},{"textAlign":49},[694],{"text":695,"type":569},"Further, by 2031 the share of flake graphite anode is forecast to grow further to 50% and that of synthetic graphite is estimated to slip to 41%",{"type":564,"attrs":697,"content":698},{"textAlign":49},[],{"type":611,"attrs":700,"content":701},{"level":613,"textAlign":49},[702],{"text":703,"type":569},"Purity, Mesh, China And Africa",{"type":564,"attrs":705,"content":706},{"textAlign":49},[707],{"text":708,"type":569},"Besides purity, the mesh size too plays a key role in graphite use and pricing. ",{"type":564,"attrs":710,"content":711},{"textAlign":49},[712,714],{"text":713,"type":569},"Fine -100 mesh is  best suited for battery anodes. When ",{"text":715,"type":569},"discussing graphite categorisation, -100 mesh, with 94% to 95% purity is often referred to as -194,195 and is the most common category that most producers prefer and use. ",{"type":564,"attrs":717,"content":718},{"textAlign":49},[719],{"text":720,"type":569},"“The deficit is focused on the -100 mesh size material, to the extent that it could structurally affect other mesh sizes, yet any supply deficit will originate and be centred around the anode focused material.”",{"type":564,"attrs":722,"content":723},{"textAlign":49},[724],{"text":725,"type":569},"China mines the bulk of the graphite globally and the majority of -100 mesh graphite supply is currently derived from Heilongjiang Province, the country’s largest graphite producing region, with Africa as the second biggest supplier.",{"type":564,"attrs":727,"content":728},{"textAlign":49},[729,731,737],{"text":730,"type":569},"Benchmark’s forecast also shows that ",{"text":732,"type":569,"marks":733},"Africa will overtake China",[734],{"type":628,"attrs":735},{"href":736,"uuid":49,"anchor":49,"target":49,"linktype":631},"https://source.benchmarkminerals.com/article/flake-graphite-production-in-africa-set-to-overtake-china-this-decade",{"text":738,"type":569}," as the largest, low-cost producer of flake graphite by the end of the decade as numerous projects in Mozambique, Madagascar, and Tanzania are expected to play a major role in global supply by the mid-2020s. ",{"type":564,"attrs":740,"content":741},{"textAlign":49},[742,744,746],{"text":743,"type":569},"Heilongjiang mined 615,000 tonnes of flake graphite in 2021, or about 58% of the global supply. That volume is set to grow to 740,000 tonnes at the end of 2031, even as its share in the global supply chain is set to slip to 20%, according to ",{"text":745,"type":569},"Benchmark’s Flake Graphite Forecast",{"text":747,"type":569},".",{"type":611,"attrs":749,"content":750},{"level":613,"textAlign":49},[751],{"text":752,"type":569},"Anode wars: graphite vs silicon ",{"type":564,"attrs":754,"content":755},{"textAlign":49},[756],{"text":757,"type":569},"While graphite continues to dominate the anode market, electric vehicle makers are also increasingly looking towards next-generation, silicon-based anode technologies as they look to improve performance and range.",{"type":564,"attrs":759,"content":760},{"textAlign":49},[761],{"text":762,"type":569},"Some of the recent developments include the $400 million investment by Porsche in silicon-anode producer Group14 Technologies in May. This was followed by Mercedes-Benz’s partnership with battery material company Sila for deploying silicon anode technology in upcoming EV models. ",{"type":564,"attrs":764,"content":765},{"textAlign":49},[766],{"text":767,"type":569},"In China, companies such as BTR, Guangdong Dowstone Tech, Tianmu Lake, Hebei Kuntian and Shida Shenghua all announced major plans for silicon- dominant anode capacity. ",{"type":564,"attrs":769,"content":770},{"textAlign":49},[771],{"text":772,"type":569},"“There is plenty of scope for development of silicon anodes but currently graphite is so low cost that it is set to sustain as the mainstream electric vehicle anode material,” Miller said.",{"type":564,"attrs":774,"content":775},{"textAlign":49},[776],{"text":777,"type":569},"Still, silicon anode production currently occupies a 1% share of the global anode market by tonne (3% by MWh). Benchmark forecasts this to increase by around 300% by 2030 even though graphite is on course to maintain more than 90% market share until the mid-2030s, as per the Benchmark Flake Graphite Forecast.","Global electric vehicle makers may not find enough flake graphite for lithium ion batteries beginning this year, as growing demand for the critical material is expected to outrun its supply, with the gap set to only increase, as per the latest Benchmark Flake Graphite Forecast. Natural flake graphite is often overshadowed by other electric vehicle […]",[780],{"slug":552,"name":553,"content":781},{"job_title":555,"image":782,"bio":558,"linkedin":559},{"filename":557},"\u003C!--#storyblok#{\"name\": \"article\", \"space\": \"\", \"uid\": \"e7df4df3-3c3e-4626-981b-54ee92bba0cc\", \"id\": \"\"}-->","article",[786,789,792],{"slug":787,"name":788},"batteries","Batteries",{"slug":790,"name":791},"critical-minerals","Critical Minerals",{"slug":793,"name":794},"gigafactories","Battery & Gigafactory","private",{"id":49,"alt":797,"name":798,"focus":798,"title":797,"source":798,"filename":799,"copyright":798,"fieldtype":800,"meta_data":801,"is_external_url":51},"Open pit graphite quarry","","https://a.storyblok.com/f/287943243085208/c1745558f8/bm-shutterstock-1628580370-1.jpg","asset",{"alt":797,"title":797,"source":798,"copyright":798},"Sep 23, 2022","23rd September 2022",[],[],1781799368143]