Syrah is aiming to be the first major integrated ex-China producer of natural graphite Active Anode Material (AAM) that is battery ready for electric vehicles.
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Syrah's project site in Vidalia has all the key requirements for large scale AAM production:
- Access to key utilities (Water/Gas/Power)
- Water and air discharge compliance obtained
- Options to expand facility size
- Direct barge/port access to Mississippi river
- Supportive government relations
- Access to key consumables (HF, HCL, Caustic)
- Capable workforce
Syrah plans to be vertically integrated and undertakes following value added steps from mine in Balama to produce AAM:
- Natural graphite concentrate (-100 mesh fines material) is transported from Balama Graphite Operation to Vidalia.
- Natural graphite is then shaped into a spherical shape and purified to produce an anode precursor material.
- Precursor material is then coated and heat treated to produce a finished AAM.
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Development at Vidalia to date has been focused on establishing production lines that are of sufficient scale to demonstrate Syrah’s capability to supply ex-Asia markets with AAM that:
- Has equivalent or superior physical and electrochemical properties to currently available material
- Is cost competitive with incumbent supply (currently 100% based in Asia)
- Provides an environmentally superior alternative to existing AAM supply
- Is capable of supplying growing US and European markets