EcoGraf is progressing plans for a 25,000-tonne-per-year battery anode material purification plant in Germany, aiming to connect its Epanko natural graphite project in Tanzania with European battery manufacturers and reduce reliance on Chinese processing capacity.
The Australia-listed company is evaluating a preferred German location, with a site visit planned for October. The proposed facility would use EcoGraf’s HFfree purification technology to process natural graphite for battery applications, targeting customers in Germany and other European manufacturing centres, including Poland and Hungary.
German Plant Could Reduce Europe’s Dependence on China
The planned German facility would establish a European downstream processing operation linked to Epanko, which EcoGraf is developing as a potential large-scale source of natural graphite outside China. The project structure could address a significant gap in Europe’s battery supply chain. Despite expanding battery-cell manufacturing capacity, the region remains heavily dependent on China for purified spherical graphite and other materials used in battery anodes.
Processing graphite in Germany would allow more of the supply chain’s value-added activities to take place within Europe, while raw material would be sourced from Tanzania. Locating the facility near European battery and automotive manufacturers could also support closer integration with downstream customers. Germany Trade & Invest is assisting EcoGraf with the site-selection process.
EIB Technical Assistance Supports Project Development
EcoGraf’s development plans have received support from the European Investment Bank, which has committed up to €2 million in technical-assistance funding for studies associated with Epanko and its wider development.
The work covers European market demand, environmental and social considerations, and other technical and development activities. The commitment is intended for technical assistance and should not be confused with construction financing. It does not represent secured funding for either the proposed German purification plant or the Tanzanian graphite mine.
EcoGraf is also discussing potential strategic equity investment, offtake agreements and broader project financing. Nevertheless, the company’s October 1 update did not announce a new binding financing package.
Site Selection and Financing Remain Key Milestones
The German plant proposal represents progress towards establishing a more integrated graphite supply chain linking African raw material production with European battery manufacturing. Under the proposed model, Epanko would supply natural graphite from Tanzania, while purification and downstream processing would take place in Germany, closer to customers across the European battery and automotive industries.
If implemented, the structure could provide European manufacturers with an additional source of battery anode material and reduce exposure to Chinese supply chains. The next priorities include selecting the final German site, securing customer qualification, negotiating binding offtake agreements and arranging financing for both the upstream mine and downstream processing facility. EcoGraf has made progress in defining its European processing strategy, but the capital required to bring the integrated project into operation has not yet been fully secured.
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