- Sovereign Metals (SVM) commences graphite operations at its Kasiya project in Malawi to produce larger volumes of natural graphite for the lithium-ion battery sector
- SVM is improving its in-country facilities, including a laboratory upgrade to produce large natural flake graphite and natural rutile products for end markets
- The company will use materials sourced from its 2022 drill program at Kasiya for downstream test work and product qualification
- SVM shares are up 4.35 per cent, trading at 48 cents at 11:25 am AEST
Sovereign Metals (SVM) has commenced graphite operations at its Kasiya project in Malawi to produce larger volumes of natural graphite for the lithium-ion battery sector.
SVM is currently upgrading its in-country facilities, which includes a “significant” laboratory upgrade to enable the ongoing production of large natural flake graphite and natural rutile products for end markets.
The company’s current graphite materials have been sourced from the remaining samples of its 2022 Kasiya resource drill program, which will be used for downstream test work and product qualification.
Initial characterisation test work on Sovereign’s Kasiya graphite has already indicated “excellent suitability” to use graphite in lithium-ion batteries.
Additionally, an initial four tonnes of flake graphite pre-concentrate from SVM’s laboratory in Malawi is now ready for dispatch to one of the world’s leading laboratories, SGS Lakefield.
Sovereign’s Managing Director, Doctor Julian Stephens, said the company wanted to be at the forefront of critical mineral supply chains, and today’s announcement was another “important” step towards achieving that.
“Kasiya will potentially be one of the lowest cost flake graphite projects in the world and is also estimated to have one of the lowest global warming potentials of any current and future graphite projects,” he said.
“The world’s economies need surety of supply for high-quality, low-carbon-footprint graphite suitable for use in lithium-ion batteries.
“Without graphite, there is no electric vehicle revolution.”
Sovereign has already secured a rutile off-take memorandum of understanding with global blue chip partners as part of its market strategy, including Japan’s Mitsui and US-listed company Chemours.
SVM shares are up 4.35 per cent, trading at 48 cents at 11:25 am AEST.