Graphite miner Syrah Resources on Friday announced the start of active anode material (AAM) production at its new 11 250 t/y Vidalia facility, in Louisiana.
This has made the ASX-listed company the first commercial-scale vertically integrated natural graphite AAM supplier outside China, said MD and CEO Shaun Verner.
The Vidalia operation is strategic for both Syrah and the North American battery supply chain and is the foundation of the company’s downstream growth strategy.
This strategy, Verner said, was supported by strong electric vehicle- (EV-) driven demand globally, recognition of the importance of independent natural graphite AAM critical mineral supply, and differentiation in terms of emissions intensity of production and provenance of supply.
The Vidalia operations team is staffed with 101 employees engaged in the commissioning process and ramping up operations and production at Vidalia.
With the start of AAM production achieved, Syrah’s focus at Vidalia transitions to producing and dispatching product samples to EV manufacturer Tesla and other customers for physical and electro-chemical performance testing programmes to complete qualification of the facility.
Syrah aims to ramp up production rates to its full design capacity within 18 months.
The AAM is produced using Balama natural graphite, from Mozambique. The graphite is a compliant critical mineral that will contribute towards the critical minerals requirement for the Section 30D clean vehicle credit under the Inflation Reduction Act of the US.