By: Staff Writer
March 28, Colombo (LNW): A green battery company is to be set up by Applied Graphite Technologies Corporation by advancing two natural vein graphite projects in Sri Lanka.
Applied Graphite Technologies is developing the Queens Mine Complex in Sri Lanka. The QMC is on private land in the heart of the vein graphite district, with historical workings and vein graphite outcrops.
Vein graphite is naturally high grade (+95% carbon content in the ground) and does not require primary processing.
Testing of vein graphite in lithium-ion battery anodes has shown very high capacities, performing better than synthetic graphite. Natural vein graphite has a far superior ESG footprint than synthetic and is cheaper without compromising performance.
Applied Graphite Technologies Corp. (“AGT”) (TSXV: AGT has purchased the past-producing Queen’s mine in Sri Lanka recenty towards this end, high official odthe company said.
The property is centrally located between AGT’s Dodangaslanda Graphite Properties. The combined properties will be called the Queens Mine Complex (“QMC”).
The Queens Mine was reported to be extracting high-grade graphite veins at a rate of 20 tonnes per month.
The former operator had intentions to ramp up production to 3,000 tonnes per year. Adits which provided access to the underground workings expose at least six graphite veins over a total width of 25 meters, with veins varying in thickness up to 0.4 metres.
It had done extensive laboratory testing on its run-of-mine (“ROM”) tonnes which consisted of high-grade graphite +95 Cg. Vein graphite direct from the mine will sell for $2,000 per tonne.
The ROM vein graphite, when upgraded to battery-quality graphite, sells for between $8,000 and $12,000 per tonne. The demand for battery ready graphite will reach five million tonnes per annum by 2030, according to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence.
AGT plans on making the QMC a priority to re-commence bulk shipping of the high-grade vein graphite material once it has completed its mine permitting and development on the prospect.
“We are extremely pleased to have acquired the QMC, thanks to our strategic in-country relationships,” comments Don Baxter, President, and CEO.
“From my experience with multiple OEMs regarding battery ready graphite, they want to see the ability to produce large tonnages for their battery requirements. The QMC will enable us to plan near term operations to illustrate potential from our properties to satisfy OEM requirements.”
AGT has granted 800,000 stock options at an exercise price of $0.15, with a five year term expiring March 23, 2029 to consultants, directors, and officers of the company.
