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 build 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
A much-larger second-phase development is on the cards for the Molo graphite mine, NextSources has said.

The technical study will determine the project economics of a Phase 2 expansion of at least 150 000 t/y of SuperFlake – more than triple that of the 45 000 t/y considered in the 2019 feasibility study.

The new minimum targeted capacity was determined after talks with flake graphite offtake partners.

Construction of Phase 1 of the mine is under way and construction of Phase 2 is expected to begin after the completion of the first phase. The $25-million Phase 1 project will produce 17 000 t/y of graphite concentrate.

Construction of a battery anode facility to produce spheronised and purified graphite will begin next year. NextSource is in discussions with its offtake partners as to the initial production capacity of the facility.

The $29.5-million strategic investment by Davis’ Vision Blue Resources is funding the construction of Phase 1 of the mine, the technical study for the Phase 2 expansion and the technical study for the construction of the battery anode facility.

The Vision Blue funding is also being used for a new metallurgical study to advance the Green Giant vanadium project, located about 15 km from the Molo project.

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.