• Tanzania’s Epanko mine may become Africa’s largest graphite producer by 2035
• Ecograf targets 390,000 tons annual output amid surging battery demand
• Project funding pending; company seeks $181M from German and U.S. sources
  

Tanzania’s Epanko graphite project could reach an annual output of 390,000 tons of natural flake graphite within ten years of starting operations, according to a study released on Wednesday, November 12, by its Australian operator Ecograf. The company said this level of production would make Epanko the largest graphite producer in Africa.

Outpacing Competitors

The planned 390,000-ton capacity at Epanko would exceed the current annual capacity of 350,000 tons at Mozambique’s Balama mine, which is now the continent’s largest graphite operation. By ramping up its future Epanko mine, Ecograf aims to respond to rapidly rising global demand.

The International Energy Agency forecasts that global graphite demand will surpass 10 million tons by 2035, twice today’s level. Ecograf expects demand to tighten earlier and believes supply could fall short starting in 2026. The expected surge is linked to the growing use of graphite in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems.

Financing Challenges in a Saturated Market

Despite strong long-term demand projections, the graphite market has struggled in recent years. A supply glut, driven mainly by large volumes of synthetic graphite from China, has pushed down natural graphite prices and slowed progress on new projects in Africa.

Ecograf is still working to raise the funds needed to begin construction of Epanko. The company is negotiating a 105 million dollar credit facility with Germany’s KfW IPEX-Bank to finance Phase 1 of the project. It has also submitted a white paper to the U.S. Department of Defense requesting a $76.3 million grant. Ecograf has not yet disclosed a construction timeline or the investment needs for future expansion phases.

According to the company, the successful completion of Epanko would deliver major economic benefits to Tanzania. It estimates more than 3 billion dollars in direct economic value over the life of the mine, along with more than 300 permanent jobs and 4,500 indirect jobs. Tanzania is also seeing progress on other large graphite projects, including Black Rock Mining’s planned Mahenge mine.

Aurel Sèdjro Houenou