Renascor hits 99.97% pure graphite at Adelaide plant, a step toward non-China battery anode supply

Renascor Resources said its Adelaide demonstration plant produced purified spherical graphite at 99.97% carbon purity, above the 99.95% level battery makers typically require for lithium-ion anodes. The company is validating a purification route that avoids hydrofluoric acid, using third-party spherical graphite before switching to material from its Siviour deposit in South Australia. The result matters because most battery-grade graphite is purified in China, and China started requiring export licences for spherical graphite in late 2023. Renascor is planning a mine at Siviour and a 100,000 tonne per year purified spherical graphite facility, with a conditional $185 million loan from Australia's Critical Minerals Facility. The company says the process could cut reagent use and recycle reagents, with estimated purification operating costs of about US$459 per tonne. Further batch trials and continuous runs are planned this quarter, and Renascor is in offtake and strategic partnership talks.