{"id":15680,"date":"2021-11-15T09:44:10","date_gmt":"2021-11-15T09:44:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=15680"},"modified":"2023-05-12T15:27:02","modified_gmt":"2023-05-12T14:27:02","slug":"volts-complete-solution-meeting-graphite-supply-chain-libs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/volts-complete-solution-meeting-graphite-supply-chain-libs\/15680\/","title":{"rendered":"Volt\u2019s complete solution for meeting graphite supply chain for LIBs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Volt<\/a> is implementing an integrated mine and graphite supply chain to meet stakeholder requirements for the crucial battery anode material. Trevor Matthews, Managing Director, explains more.<\/h2>\n

Transport contributes approximately one-quarter of all energy-related carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere, which is set to reach one-third, growing faster than any other sector. The global passenger car fleet is projected to double by 2050, with the majority of growth taking place in developing markets, where an estimated three out of four cars will be found.<\/p>\n

Through a comprehensive set of fiscal and non-fiscal measures, one out of four cars sold in Norway today is electric; while in China, a national two and three-wheelers strategy that started ten years ago has now resulted in electric two and three-wheelers having all but replaced petrol motorbikes in its major cities \u2013 with 230 million electric bikes in use to date. Such practices need to be scaled up and replicated worldwide to achieve the desired impact from the electrification of transport.<\/p>\n

With Europe and the United States comprising two of the top three EV markets<\/a> globally and predicted to stay in this position through 2030 and beyond as part of the transition to clean energy, the development of lithium-ion battery (LIB) cell manufacturing and the battery material supply chains to feed LIB production for EV production have guided Volt Resources\u2019 strategy for its graphite business.<\/p>\n

With the anode in the LIB made from synthetic and natural flake graphite and the forecast increase in EV demand, market forecasts predict a seven-fold increase in demand for natural flake graphite by 2030.<\/p>\n

Volt has a controlling 70% interest in the Zavalievsky Graphite (ZG) Group located in Ukraine. The acquisition immediately transformed Volt into one of the few natural flake graphite producers in Europe. Combined with its development-ready Bunyu Graphite Project in South-East Tanzania, Volt\u2019s strategy to become a globally significant graphite producer is expanding to include battery anode material and other value-added downstream graphite processing facilities in Europe and the United States.<\/p>\n

Zavalievsky graphite \u2013 European production<\/h3>\n

The graphite mine and associated processing facilities owned by the ZG Group are located adjacent to the town of Zavallya, approximately 280km south of the Ukraine capital Kyiv and 230km north of the main port of Odessa.<\/p>\n

ZG commenced operations in 1934, mining ore from the Zavalievsky deposit that is one of the largest deposits of graphite in Europe. Project production capacity is up to 30,000 tonnes of graphite concentrate\/product per year. In 2014, ZG was the eighth largest producer of natural flake graphite in the world.<\/p>\n

ZG produces more than 30 grades of graphite and, apart from domestic sales, has exported for decades to the following countries: Austria, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Spain, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, Belarus and Azerbaijan. The business supplies graphite products to manufacturers of high-quality lubricants, refractory products, friction materials, steel and iron foundry companies, oil and gas producing companies.<\/p>\n

Following the previous owners\u2019 lack of investment in the business, recent periods of graphite oversupply and reduced product sales in Europe in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions, the ZG business is operating well below nameplate capacity. Volt plans to improve the performance of the business with close attention to improved environmental management and sustainable operations, including programmes to minimise the operation\u2019s carbon footprint, development of stakeholder relationships and social investment combined with improved governance throughout ZG.<\/p>\n

Volt has identified considerable benefits from the acquisition of a controlling 70% interest in the ZG operating business, which include:<\/p>\n