Northern Graphite says work to relocate processing infrastructure to its Okanjande graphite mine in Namibia is now 60% complete as the company advances plans to restart production in late 2027 and position the operation as a key supplier to international battery materials markets.
The Canadian company disclosed that it has begun relocating processing facilities from the former Okorusu mine site to Okanjande, with the Namibian contractor Rotary Engineering Services responsible for dismantling, transporting, and reassembling the remaining plant infrastructure.
According to the company, the relocation project is expected to be completed in June 2026 and represents another step towards the resumption of graphite production at Okanjande.
Northern said relocating the processing plant directly to the mine site is expected to lower operating costs, improve project sustainability and create opportunities for future expansion.
The restart of Okanjande forms part of a broader strategy to establish an integrated graphite and battery materials business spanning Africa, North America and the Middle East.
The company is targeting a late-2027 restart of mining operations in Namibia to supply graphite concentrate to a planned Battery Anode Material (BAM) facility in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. Production at the Saudi facility is expected to begin in 2028.
Northern has previously announced plans to develop the BAM facility through a joint venture with Saudi Arabia’s Obeikan Investment Group. The proposed plant is expected to produce battery anode materials for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
The company views Okanjande as a strategically important asset within Western governments’ and manufacturers’ efforts to diversify critical mineral supply chains away from China, which currently dominates global graphite processing and battery anode production.
Northern said Okanjande benefits from several competitive advantages, including a high-quality graphite resource, proximity to the deep-water port of Walvis Bay and a shorter development timeline than many competing graphite projects globally.
The company believes these attributes position the mine to serve customers in North America, Europe and the Middle East while supporting the development of alternative graphite supply chains.
Northern Graphite chief executive officer Hugues Jacquemin said the company had entered a critical phase in its development.
“Northern has entered a pivotal stage in its evolution, with a stronger balance sheet, advancing operations and a clear path toward becoming an integrated global graphite and battery materials producer,” Jacquemin said.
“Over the coming quarters, we expect to restart production at Lac des Iles, continue advancing toward a final investment decision for our planned BAM facility in Yanbu and further position Okanjande as a future source of scalable graphite production.”
He said the company’s projects were laying the foundation for Northern to become a supplier of critical materials to markets seeking secure, independent supply chains.
Okanjande, located near Otjiwarongo, remains Namibia’s only known graphite mine and is expected to play an increasingly important role as demand for battery minerals grows globally.
