Northern Graphite and Rain Carbon Announce R&D Grant to Develop Sustainable Battery Anode Materials

Executive Summary

• Northern Graphite Corporation and Rain Carbon Canada Inc. have secured up to C$860,000 in funding from Canadian‑German government programs for a 24‑month joint project aimed at converting low‑value natural graphite by‑product into battery‑grade anode material.
• The initiative has a total budget of $2.2 million and will combine Northern’s feedstock and processing expertise with Rain Carbon’s LIONCOAT® carbon coating technology to improve yield, reduce waste and lower the carbon footprint of graphite‑to‑battery supply chains.
• Successful execution positions both companies to offer a competitive Western supply‑chain alternative for high‑performance battery materials, supporting their broader mine‑to‑battery strategies.

Key Details

• Funding Sources: Canada‑Germany Collaborative Industrial Research and Development Program; National Research Council of Canada IRAP; Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) – Central Innovation Program for SMEs (ZIM).
• Total Project Cost: $2.2 million USD.
• Maximum Funding Received: C$860,000 (€530,000).
• Project Duration: 24 months.
• Scope of Work:
• Up‑cycle natural graphite fine fractions (by‑product) into high‑performance battery‑grade anode material (BAM).
• Increase milling and shaping yield; reduce waste; minimize additional mining requirements.
• Apply advanced sizing, shaping, purification, and proprietary LIONCOAT® carbon coating processes.
• Conduct electrochemical performance testing to meet global battery standards.
• Consortium Partners:
• Northern Graphite Corp. (TSXV: NGC) – supplies natural graphite feedstock from Canadian and Namibian operations.
• NGCBM (Northern’s Germany‑based Battery Materials unit).
• Rain Carbon Canada Inc. (RAINCA) – provides conversion technology, coating expertise, and pilot‑scale demonstration plant in Hamilton, Ontario.
• Facilities Utilized:
• Rain Carbon’s Technology Innovation Center for Energy Storage Materials – pilot‑scale conversion/coating plant, analytical lab, and battery cell fabrication lab.
• Strategic Objectives:
• Build a vertically integrated “mine‑to‑battery” supply chain in North America/Western markets.
• Reduce carbon footprint per kilogram of battery material by improving conversion rates and minimizing milling waste.
• Strengthen both companies’ positions within the G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan and broader sustainable battery materials market.
• Leadership Comments:
• Hugues Jacquemin (CEO, Northern) highlighted the partnership’s role in creating a robust supply chain and advancing clean‑energy solutions.
• Dr. Moritz Hantel (Chief Product Officer, Northern) emphasized carbon‑footprint reduction and circular‑economy benefits.
• Gerard Sweeney (President, Rain Carbon Canada) noted accelerated product development and competitive advantage for RAIN.
• Honourable Tim Hodgson (Minister of Energy & Natural Resources) and Claude Guay (Parliamentary Secretary) underscored the project’s alignment with Canada’s critical‑minerals strategy.

Notable Quotes

• “With a shared goal of building a robust supply chain from mine-to-battery, this collaboration combines the upstream strengths of our mining and graphite processing operations with RAIN's unmatched carbon science expertise to deliver advanced solutions for a clean energy future.” – Hugues Jacquemin, CEO, Northern Graphite
• “This project aims to significantly reduce the carbon footprint per kilogram of battery material by introducing processes that result in less waste from the milling cycle and utilize more of the graphite that we mine.” – Dr. Moritz Hantel, Chief Product Officer, Northern Graphite
• “Together, both organizations are well‑positioned to meet the stringent quality standards of the highly competitive energy storage market.” – Gerard Sweeney, President, Rain Carbon Canada

Materiality Assessment: Material – Positive (the funding and collaborative R&D effort materially enhance the companies’ strategic positioning in the battery‑grade graphite market.)