Nasdaq-listed Graphjet Technology has started operations at its artificial graphite plant in Malaysia, which will produce battery-grade graphite using recycled palm kernel shells (PKS), the firm said on 19 November.
Graphjet's facility has the capacity to produce 3,000 t/yr of graphite by recycling up to 9,000 t/yr of PKS, which is sufficient to produce batteries for 40,000 electric vehicles (EVs)/yr. The firm has already received its first shipment of PKS, it said.
Graphjet has another artificial graphite production facility planned in US' Nevada, and it plans to produce hard carbon at the Malaysian facility to use as feedstock at the Nevada facility. The Nevada facility is expected to have the capacity to recycle 30,000 t/yr of PKS to produce 10,000 t/yr of battery-grade artificial graphite and is slated to begin production in 2026, said Graphjet in April.
China, the dominant producer of graphite, added a number of graphite products into its export licensing scheme at the end of last year. The move back then alarmed its neighbours, Japan and South Korea, which are major battery-producing countries and they have since been looking to reduce their dependency on Chinese graphite.
China's graphite flake exports fell by 23pc to 44,103t during January-September following the exports curb, according to Chinese customs data.
