Quantum Graphite and Sunlands Energy Co.’s Eyre Peninsula graphite hub in South Australia has been granted major project status by the Federal Government.
Major project status recognises economically significant projects to Australia and enables such projects to obtain extra support and coordinated approvals.
Federal Industry and Science Minister Ed Husic granted Quantum the status for an initial three-year period, acknowledging the hub’s alignment with the Federal Government’s Critical Minerals Strategy and National Battery Strategy.
“The support from Ed Husic is very encouraging and will mark a meaningful contribution towards the Eyre Peninsula becoming Australia’s leading graphite region,” Quantum managing director Sal Catalano said.
“For our key stakeholders, it highlights the national significance of the hub and the creation of a new graphite supply chain.”
The Quantum–Sunlands Eyre Peninsula graphite hub links the Uley 2 graphite mine, which holds a mineral resource of 7.2 million tonnes (Mt) at 11.10 per cent graphitic carbon and ore reserves of 4.3Mt at 11.89 per cent graphitic carbon, to the US Atlantic Coast. It also includes Sunlands’ associated manufacturing, logistics, and inventory management facilities.
With approvals secured from the SA Department of Energy and Mining, the Uley 2 graphite mine is shovel ready, with activities including mining flake graphite, producing 100,000 tonnes per annum of graphite concentrate, and operating inventory management and warehousing facilities.
Sunlands’ manufacturing facility will use the graphite to produce long-duration thermal energy storage cells.
A key element of the hub is its integration with planned refining operations in South Carolina, US, which will purify the graphite concentrate to more than 99.6 per cent purity.
Catalono said co-locating the Sunlands processing and manufacturing facility with this infrastructure on the Eyre Peninsula underpins Australia’s global competitiveness and delivers significant long-term benefits to the community.
“The support from the Hon Ed Husic recognises these benefits including employment opportunities, building local technical skills and considerable royalties and taxes for the Federal and State government,” he said.
The major project status designation provides key support for accelerating Quantum’s $US300 million ($478 million) financing proposal with the US Export-Import (EXIM) Bank.
It will also assist MRI Trading AG’s objective of delivering 100,000 tonnes per annum of high-purity graphite to the market by the first quarter of 2027.
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