In order to become a vital minerals producer, NextSource Materials has begun the commissioning of its Molo graphite mine in Toliara, southern Madagascar.
The company is putting in place the solar and battery facilities for the hybrid power plant, which is reportedly essential to the Molo mine’s first phase of construction. A thermal generation facility, a 2.6 MW solar plant, and a 1 MWh battery energy storage system facility will be part of the hybrid power plant.
The Molo mine, which is being developed in stages, is anticipated to have an initial flake graphite concentrate production capability of about 17,000 tonnes per annum (tpa). The Molo mine’s yearly graphite production will rise to 150,000t during the second phase.
The development of numerous battery anode facilities (BAFs) for the manufacturing of commercial-scale graphite anode material for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicle applications was part of NextSource’s global battery anode facility (BAF) expansion plan, which was announced last month.
It also disclosed the results of its first BAF in Mauritius (BAF1), which is close to the Molo mine and will produce commercial quantities of coated, spherical, and purified graphite (CSPG), primarily for customers in Japan and South Korea.
The company is currently engaged in front-end engineering and design work as well as environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) permitting, and is in discussions with strategic offtake partners as well as debt and equity financiers who are prepared to fund the construction of BAF1.
If funding and ESIA standards are completed, the company anticipates BAF1 manufacturing to begin by the second quarter of 2019.
“Commissioning of the Molo Graphite Mine is a testament to the hard work and perseverance of our employees and contractors who have brought this project from design through to implementation in the middle of a global pandemic and shifting geopolitical landscape,” said Craig Scherba, president and CEO of NextSource Materials.
The Molo mine’s first phase includes a brand-new open pit mine, a processing facility, and all necessary infrastructure, such as water, fuel, electricity, tailings (co-disposed), structures, and long-term housing.