EcoGraf is evaluating a site in Germany for a proposed 25,000-tonne-per-year battery-anode-material purification plant, which would connect natural graphite production from its Epanko project in Tanzania with battery manufacturers across Europe. The Australia-listed company plans to visit its preferred German location during October as part of the site-selection process.
The proposed facility would use EcoGraf’s HFfree purification technology to process natural graphite for battery applications. Its intended customer base includes manufacturers in Germany and other European industrial centres, including Poland and Hungary. The project would establish a downstream processing operation in Europe linked to an upstream graphite supply source in Tanzania. EcoGraf is positioning Epanko as a potential large-scale source of natural graphite outside China.
German Facility Would Expand European Anode Processing
The proposed German plant would place graphite purification capacity closer to European battery and automotive manufacturers, while raw material supply could originate from Tanzania. This structure would allow a greater share of the graphite value chain to be located within Europe.
The development comes as European battery-cell manufacturing expands while the region remains heavily dependent on China for purified spherical graphite and other battery-anode materials. Establishing local purification capacity could provide European manufacturers with an alternative supply route. Germany Trade & Invest is supporting EcoGraf’s site-selection process. The company is continuing to assess the preferred location, with the planned October visit forming part of the work to advance the proposed facility.
EIB Technical Assistance Supports Epanko Development Work
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has committed up to €2 million in technical-assistance funding for studies related to European market demand, environmental and social considerations, and other development activities associated with Epanko. The commitment covers technical assistance and studies. It does not constitute construction financing for either the proposed German purification plant or the Epanko graphite project in Tanzania.
EcoGraf is also conducting discussions concerning strategic equity investment, offtake agreements and broader project financing. However, the company’s October 1 update did not announce a new binding financing package for the proposed developments.
Site Selection and Financing Remain Outstanding
The planned German facility would form the downstream component of a supply chain in which natural graphite from Epanko could be purified in Germany before reaching European battery and automotive customers.
The next development steps include selecting the final German site, qualifying products with customers, securing binding offtake agreements and arranging financing for both the upstream mining project and the downstream processing facility. Although the proposed supply-chain structure links Tanzanian graphite resources with European purification capacity, the capital required to develop both components has not yet been fully secured.
