London-listed Blencowe Resources, together with its Chinese partner Jilin New Technology Graphite Co, is nearly done with processing 600 t of raw material from the Orom-Cross graphite project, in Uganda.

Blencowe says this commercial-scale testing in China has been crucial to fast-tracking product qualification, bypassing the need for a costly pilot-scale graphite processing facility at site.

The company notes that graphite processing company Jilin has extensive knowledge of Orom-Cross graphite through this and previous testwork.

Jilin completed a 100 t bulk sample to concentrate for Blencowe in 2023 and has been processing a 600 t bulk sample over the last quarter.

Blencowe describes the yields and recoveries delivered to date as “excellent,” adding that this once again highlights the strong purity and overall characteristics of Orom-Cross graphite.

The programme is expected to complete within the next week, delivering about 30 t of 95% to 97% loss on ignition graphite concentrate with a 55% small flake and 45% large flake.

Blencowe says it will, thereafter, have substantial volumes of both small and large flake concentrate for further testing.

End products will be made available to prospective offtakers as product testing completes, with most small flake concentrate sent to Blencowe's spheronised purified graphite (SPG) processing partner for further beneficiation to deliver about 10 t of 99.95% uncoated SPG.

The company notes that the battery-ready product original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs) want to test the concentrate before signing offtake agreements.

Blencowe has already announced its first memorandum of understanding (MoU) for offtake for the large flake concentrate.

Through completion of these next steps, the company says it anticipates delivering further MoUs with leading buyers of graphite products worldwide, with the aim of securing offtake partners for the entire production output from Orom-Cross.

"We are thrilled to be nearing the completion of our 600 t bulk sample processing, which is a critical milestone in our definitive feasibility study journey. The excellent results so far underscore the high quality and potential of our Orom-Cross graphite.

“As we transition to the next phase, our focus remains on delivering premium, battery-ready graphite products that meet the stringent demands of our prospective Tier-1 offtakers and OEMs who are seeking high-grade product to ensure their long-term supply to meet accelerating demand for battery-ready premium product, especially from the automotive industry for electric vehicle batteries.

“Successfully proving the quality of our end product at commercial scale at this early stage not only strengthens our position in the industry but also sets the stage for significant commercial advancements with offtakers and downstream partners. We look forward to sharing more positive updates as we drive towards our goal of becoming a leading supplier of high-purity graphite,” says Blencowe executive chairperson Cameron Pearce.