Australian mining company Syrah Resources, which operates in the Balama district of Cabo Delgado in northern Mozambique, has announced that it has begun supplying graphite to a battery manufacturer located in Indonesia. BTR New Materials purchased 10,000 tons of the ore, marking the first bulk sale to a battery manufacturer outside of China.
“This bulk sale follows a trial shipment of containers of natural graphite fines from Balama to Indonesia. This import is another important development in the sales diversification strategy,” said the mining company.
BTR New Materials Group is building a battery factory in Indonesia, valued at 478 million dollars, with production scheduled to start later this year, which opens up possibilities for new sales.
Natural graphite production in Balama rose to 41,000 tons in the first quarter of 2023, compared to 35,000 tons in the previous quarter.
In November, the Mozambican Minister of Economy and Finance, Max Tonela, pointed out that the country has plenty of graphite to meet the demand for electric cars in the European Union, advocating business partnerships to speed up industrialization.
The Economic and Social Plan of the State Budget (PESOE) for 2024 foresees the production of 329,040 tons of graphite, an essential raw material for the production of batteries for electric vehicles.
