TSX-listed battery materials development company based in Toronto NextSource Materials has announced progress with the development of its Battery Anode Facility (BAF) in the Freeport Zone of the port of Port-Louis, Mauritius.
NextSource’s BAF Location within the Freeport Zone in Port-Louis, Mauritius.
Following a comprehensive site selection process, the Company has signed a long-term lease agreement for a site in the Freeport Zone of Port-Louis for the location of its first BAF plant. The Company has integrated engineering improvements into the plant design and initiated the environmental permitting (EIA) process.
Set within an industrial environment, the site offers significant operational benefits as compared to the previously leased site, including logistics improvements resulting from direct port access, a high-quality concrete structure requiring minimal modifications with sufficient space to expand the capacity of the plant in the future, and financial benefits resulting from being located in a Freeport Zone. A Freeport Zone is where goods may be imported, stored, handled, manufactured, and re- exported under specific customs regulation and are generally not subject to normal tax and customs duty.
The Company has pre-ordered process equipment with a production capacity of 3,600 tonnes per annum of SPG (spheronized and purified graphite) and CSPG (coated SPG). The process equipment is currently being fabricated and assembled offshore and will be shipped to Mauritius once the EIA process is completed. Meanwhile, SuperFlake® graphite concentrate from the Molo Mine and equipment for the operation of a small-scale pilot line has already arrived at the site in order to prepare for production of samples for key OEM customers.
The Company is preparing an updated economic assessment for this site and will announce the results once completed.
