Northern Graphite Corporation has rebranded to reflect its unique position as North America’s only graphite producer and its strategy to evolve into a vertically integrated mine-to-market-to-battery company.
The new look also expresses its unique status as the only graphite producer in North America and its first-mover advantage in natural graphite, the largest component of the lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicle (EV) batteries and the energy transition.
The company’s new brand comes with the recent launch of its dedicated Battery Minerals Group to redefine carbon material solutions for industrial markets and meet the growing needs of Western markets for battery anode material.
Northern Graphite CEO Hugues Jacquemin said the new brand reflects their ambitious journey nearly two years ago to redefine Northern from a graphite producer to a fully integrated, mine-to-market.
“We have turned the page. Our role today extends well beyond mining and extraction. We are a technology company with the expertise to produce Battery Anode Material tailored to the precise specifications of battery makers for electric vehicles in North America,” Jacquemin said.
In April 2022, Northern acquired the Lac des Iles graphite mine in Quebec, which has been producing graphite for over 30 years, providing clients with products used for key industries, such as refractory bricks for steel making, heat management in mobile phones, and friction and lubrication products for brakes and brake linings for the global automobile industry, among many other applications.
The company also acquired its Okanjande graphite mine and processing facilities in Namibia in 2022.
In the nearly two years since then, Northern has demonstrated the potential to extend the mine life at LDI and plans to restart mining and processing operations at Okanjande in 2025, pending financing, to provide a secure source of graphite for Western markets.
The company’s Bissett Creek development project in Ontario is near-shovel ready.
Jacquemin said they see a clear pathway and plan to become a 100,000-tonnes-per-year producer of battery-grade graphite soon.
He added that the potential for scalable growth exists across our operations in expansion modules that are de-risked at every stage and timed to growing demand from battery makers in North America as the EV revolution gains momentum.
The company announced the launch of its new NGC Battery Materials group in January 2024 to bridge the gap between graphite mining and the upstream battery market and develop the capability to produce battery anode material with tailored graphite solutions for our customers.
NGCBM will lead the development of Northern’s planned 200,000-tpy Baie-Comeau Battery Anode Material facility, with construction anticipated to begin in 2026, subject to financing and in line with coming demand from planned gigafactories in North America.
Besides creating new materials for the next generation of batteries, Northern is partnering with industry leaders for downstream integration, redefining carbon material needs for the industrial sector as the world marches toward net zero and embraces widescale electrification.
“The future is now. Our team is working hard to leverage our unique, first-mover advantage to supply the graphite needs of the Western world with scalable growth of our mines and battery anode material production,” Jacquemin said.
