Northern Graphite has completed the relocation of its graphite processing plant from the former Okorusu Mine to the Okanjande Mine in Namibia, marking the first major construction milestone in the planned restart of graphite production.
The Canadian graphite producer announced on Tuesday that the processing equipment had been successfully dismantled at Okorusu and transported approximately 85 kilometres to the fully permitted Okanjande Mine, where it will now be reassembled ahead of the planned restart of mining and processing operations in late 2027, subject to financing.
The company said the relocation was completed safely, on schedule and without incident.
Northern Graphite chief executive Hugues Jacquemin described the move as a significant step in advancing the company’s mine-to-battery strategy.
“The completion of the relocation is a major milestone for Northern and demonstrates our ability to execute as we advance the restart of production at Okanjande,” Jacquemin said.
“With plant equipment now in place at the mine site, we are advancing preparations for production and strengthening the foundation for supplying our planned joint venture BAM facility in Yanbu, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which is targeted for initial production in 2028 as part of Northern’s broader mine-to-battery strategy.”
The relocation follows a Preliminary Economic Assessment completed in 2023, which concluded that moving the processing plant to Okanjande would be more economical than refurbishing the existing processing facility at Okorusu.
By relocating the plant to the mine site, Northern expects to eliminate the need to transport graphite ore over long distances for processing, reducing haulage costs, fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The company also plans to incorporate solar power and dry tailings technology to improve water efficiency and reduce the project’s environmental footprint.
The completion of the relocation significantly de-risks the restart project by placing the key processing infrastructure at the mine site, allowing the company to focus on plant reassembly, commissioning and financing over the coming months.
Okanjande, which is currently in care and maintenance, is one of Africa’s largest permitted graphite projects and forms part of Northern’s strategy to establish an integrated mine-to-battery materials business supplying both traditional industrial markets and the rapidly expanding lithium-ion battery sector.
Jacquemin said the project’s location further strengthens its competitiveness.
“Okanjande hosts a large graphite resource in one of Africa’s most politically stable jurisdictions, with access to a deep-water port that provides substantial competitive advantages over many competing projects.
“Completing the plant relocation further de-risks the restart strategy and positions Northern to move quickly to support secure graphite supply chains independent of China.”
The reassembled processing plant is expected to supply graphite concentrate for Northern’s planned battery anode materials joint venture in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, which is targeted to begin production in 2028 as the company expands its global mine-to-battery value chain.
