Name of the Project
Molo graphite project.

Location
Tulear region, south-western Madagascar.

Project Owner/s
Canadian battery materials development company NextSource Materials.

Project Description
The Molo project is a full feasibility study-stage project and ranks as one of the biggest-known and highest-quality flake graphite deposits in the world; it is the only project with SuperFlake graphite.

NextSource will use an all-modular build approach to building the mine.

Initial production is expected to be 17 000 t/y over the first two years of production followed by mine expansion in Year 3.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
A $29.5-million strategic investment by Vision Blue is expected to fully fund the construction of the project.

Planned Start/End Date
Mine commissioning is targeted for April 2022.

Latest Developments
Industrial materials company Thyssenkrupp Materials Trading and NextSource Materials have entered into a long-term partnership to provide graphite for foundries and battery production.

The parties have also signed a ten-year offtake agreement for NextSource’s SuperFlake graphite.

With this agreement, Thyssenkrupp Materials Trading is NextSource's global sales partner. During the first phase, from April 2022, Thyssenkrupp Materials Trading will buy about 7 300 t of graphite from NextSource.

This initial volume will be used by the companies to verify run-of-mill production of SuperFlake concentrate. The offtake volume will increase to up to 35 000 t/y by 2024.

The agreement covers the offtake of up to 35 000 t/y of the graphite concentrate from the Molo mine from the second quarter of 2022.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
NextSource Materials, tel +1416364 4911 or executive VP corporate development Brent Nykoliation, email brent@nextsourcematerials.com.