Australia’s battery industry has taken a step forward with Graphinex opening its demonstration-scale battery anode production facility in Townsville – a new plant designed to produce 300 tonnes of graphite anode material annually for lithium-ion batteries.
The launch of the battery anode plant coincides with confirmation from the Queensland government that Graphinex’s planned Esmeralda mine in the state’s northwest has been granted coordinated project status, accelerating the approvals process.
Graphinex Chairman Tom Northcott said the milestones reflect the Brisbane-headquartered company’s long-term commitment to building sovereign capability across critical minerals and battery materials supply chains.
“By combining our Australian critical minerals resources with advanced downstream processing for high-performing products, we’re creating the foundation for globally competitive, future-facing industries,” he said.
“This is about more than graphite or vanadium, it’s about delivering value-added manufacturing, regional jobs, and national resilience in the clean energy transition. We’re proud to be leading that charge.”
Graphinex said the Townsville battery anode facility is a major step toward its vision of becoming a leading Australian supplier of premium battery anode materials to the rapidly expanding global market.
The facility includes specialised commercial-grade equipment that allows Graphinex to produce material at off-take scale, enabling battery partners to test and qualify product that mirrors final production.
“It will produce 300 tonnes per annum of ultra-high-performance battery-grade graphite and support qualification trials with some of the world’s most significant EV and energy storage manufacturers,” Graphinex said.
A key component in lithium-ion batteries and defence technologies, the global demand for graphite is expected to rise by 140% by 2030.
The new facility is set to process graphite ores sourced from the planned Esmeralda graphite mining project near Croydon, about 500 kilometres west of Townsville.
Graphinex Managing Director Art Malone said the declaration of coordinated project status for the project would fast-track the 3.5 million tonne graphite project’s path to market.
“It streamlines approvals, cuts our development timeline by at least 12 months, and confirms the (Queensland) government’s recognition of the project’s strategic importance to the state,” he said.
Subject to approvals, construction of the Esmerelda project is anticipated to start in 2027 with operations expected to follow about 18 months later.
Graphinex’s new battery anode facility was supported by a $3 million federal government grant through the International Partnerships for Critical Minerals Program, alongside a $2 million Queensland government grant through Queensland Critical Minerals and Battery Technology Fund.
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