Northern Graphite, Rain consortium receives $860k grant

Executive Summary

• Northern Graphite Corp. and Rain Carbon Canada Inc. have secured up to $860,000 (530,000 euros) in funding under the Canada-Germany Collaborative Industrial Research and Development Program.
• The 24-month project focuses on transforming low-value natural graphite fine fractions into high-performance, battery-grade anode material, aiming to increase milling/shaping yields and reduce waste.
• The initiative leverages Northern’s upstream mining strengths and Rain’s proprietary Lioncoat carbon coating technology to create a sustainable, mine-to-battery supply chain.

Key Details

• Grant Amount: Up to $860,000 (530,000 euros).
• Total Project Cost: $2.2 million.
• Project Duration: 24 months.
• Primary Objective: Transform low-value natural graphite fine fractions (byproduct) into high-performance, battery-grade anode material.
• Key Goals:
  • Increase milling and shaping yield.
  • Upcycle byproduct fine fractions.
  • Reduce waste and minimize the need for additional mining.
  • Reduce the carbon footprint per kilogram of battery material.
• Funding Sources:
  • National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (advisory services and funding).
  • Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy through its Central Innovation Program for small- and mid-size companies.
• Partners:
  • Northern Graphite Corp.: Supplies natural graphite feedstock from operations in Canada and Namibia; applies advanced sizing, shaping, and purification techniques.
  • Rain Carbon Canada Inc. (RAINCA): Contributes advanced conversion processes, proprietary Lioncoat carbon coating technology, and leads electrochemical performance testing.
• Operational Anchor: Rain's Technology Innovation Center for Energy Storage Materials in Hamilton, Ont., which includes a pilot-scale demonstration plant, advanced analytical lab, and application lab for battery cell fabrication.
• Strategic Context:
  • Northern is focused on becoming an integrated, mine-to-battery supplier.
  • In January 2024, Northern formed its battery material group (NGCBM) via the acquisition of assets and R&D teams from Germany's Heraeus Group, including a laboratory in Frankfurt.
  • The project aligns with the G7 critical minerals action plan to advance innovative projects that reduce environmental impacts and strengthen supply chains.

Notable Quotes

• Hugues Jacquemin, CEO, Northern Graphite: "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."
• Dr. Moritz Hantel, Chief Product Officer, 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... By improving the conversion rate of flake graphite into battery anode material, we align with the principles of the circular economy."
• Gerard Sweeney, President, Rain Carbon Canada: "This partnership not only enhances Rain's capabilities in processing battery-grade carbon precursor materials but also enables NGCBM to expand its value chain beyond raw material extraction and processing, advancing into the production of high-value battery materials."
• Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources: "Research and development are at the heart of building resilient and sustainable critical mineral supply chains... that reduce environmental impacts, maximize production, and strengthen Canada and our allies' competitive edge."