Our synthetic graphite is some of the purest in the North America.
All auto makers will be required to meet 100% EV sales targets by 2035 in Canada and the US and there is no immediate term source for graphite in the region, complicating local content requirements for funding and tariff compliance.
The game changer here with Regen is this synthetic graphite deposit is already produced, meaning the harmful emissions normally associated with its production do not exist: Making this the greenest source of graphite in the world.
The Battery Minerals Mix
Lithium is not the only key component to the batteries on the market today. EV batteries contain many other metals including nickel, cobalt, graphite and manganese. Graphite, however, which is used to make anodes, is the most prevalent mineral in an EV battery. On average, each new EV vehicle contains 34kgs of graphite with up to 60kgs in long-range models.
Natural vs Synthetic Graphite
While it comes in many different grades and forms, battery-grade graphite falls into one of two classes: natural or synthetic.
Natural graphite is produced by mining naturally occurring mineral deposits. This method produces only one to two kilograms of CO2 emissions per kilogram of graphite.
Synthetic graphite is preferable in performance for EV batteries, but given the negative environmental impacts of its production by the treatment of petroleum coke and coal tar, it’s used less often than natural graphite. However, the synthetic graphite at the Regen site is already produced at the manufacturing processes of 3,200° Celsius that occurred at the Union Carbide site during the 1900s, meaning this source of synthetic graphic is now essentially emission-free.
Carbon Intensity: Chinese vs Regen
Chinese synthetic graphite has a carbon intensity of about 14.5kg of CO2 for every kg of synthetic graphite produced.
The closest graphite operation to Regen is Northern Graphite, which produces natural graphite. It discloses its carbon intensity as about 9kg of CO2 for every kg of graphite produced.
Regen will unquestionably be by far the most emission friendly source of synthetic graphite in the world. Our carbon intensity is less than 1% of the Chinese product.
China and the Graphite Supply
In 2021, China accounted for 79% of global graphite production, while currently North American production respresents 1.2%. The Chinese supply is primarily processed graphite - the form used for battery production. This supply concentration presents challenges for the OEM sector looking to diversify supply chains away from China. These challenges were further exacerbated in November 2023 as China implemented new export controls, forcing foreign customers to seek licenses from Chinese authorities.
Regen’s objective is to be the world’s most environmentally friendly source of graphite.
Instead of manufacturing synthetic graphite, Regen is able to recover and reuse synthetic graphite that has already been manufactured, thereby avoiding the environmental damage and carbon intensity of synthetic graphite manufacturing.
Regen has already provided samples of material to potential customers and received expressions of interest.
Regen product will be in particular demand given its exceptional environmental profile and the growing desire of battery and automobile manufacturers to diversify their supply chains away from China.