New micronising plant for Collie

ASX-listed International Graphite has announced the wet commissioning of its new graphite micronising plant in Collie.

The 200-tonnes-per-annum qualification-scale plant – a prelude to the company's mooted 4,000tpa facility – will be the first micronising site in Australia to produce graphite products for potential clients.

International received approval from the state government to construct the qualifcation-scale plant in August last year. 

Micronised graphite is a versatile commodity and can be found in many products, including fire-resistant building materials. It also plays an important role in battery-powered technology.

International's managing director and chief executive officer Andrew Worland said Monday's announcement was a critical moment for the company. 

"We see commercial micronising as an important initial step in our strategy to produce advanced battery anode materials at Collie using concentrate feed from our 100 per cent-owned Springdale graphite project, near Hopetoun in Western Australia," he said.

"Micronising graphite, initially using third party concentrates, will enable the company to develop a customer base, gain operating experience, build markets for future by-products, and generate cash flow ahead of the launch of the proposed integrated Springdale-Collie operations.”

Collie-Preston MLA Jodie Hanns said the new facility could provide a massive boost for Collie and surrounding areas, which had been impacted in recent times by the state government's decision to phase out all state-owned coal-fired power stations by 2030. 

"This is another exciting milestone for International Graphite," she said. 

"I am really pleased with the benefits that are expected to flow to the community, with International Graphite intending to build on Collie's highly skilled technical workforce and create new jobs.

"This will provide the opportunity to train on new equipment and build a career in an emerging new industry."

International is hopeful that construction of its 4,000tpa commercial micronising operation, expected to cost around $12.5 million to build, will begin in the middle of this year. 

The company last traded at 15.5 cents per share, as of 11am AWST.