Graphite One pushes Graphite Creek mine near Nome to 2030, a year later than planned

Graphite One now expects its proposed Graphite Creek mine, about 37 miles north of Nome, to start producing in 2030, a year later than the company said in July, according to a company release Monday. Mine construction is now targeted for 2028.

Its planned battery-materials plant in Conneaut, Ohio, also slid about a year. In July, the company expected production there to begin in late 2027. It now targets first sales in late 2028, depending on financing and a final investment decision. Monday's release doesn't give a reason for either new date.

The plan is to mine and process natural graphite at Graphite Creek, ship graphite materials through the Port of Nome and make anode material in Ohio. Anode material is the main material in one electrode of lithium-ion batteries. The company has said the Ohio plant can start production without the Alaska mine.

The mine's federal review has also gotten longer. In July, the Army Corps of Engineers moved from a shorter environmental assessment to a full environmental impact statement. Graphite One said then it expected no delay, and CEO Anthony Huston said the company remained confident "in our ability to deliver this critical domestic graphite supply chain project on our targeted 2029 timeline," according to a July 9 release.

Later that month, federal permitting officials extended the schedule for the Corps' review at its request. The company says the federal timetable now targets a Corps permit decision by Sept. 30, 2027.

Monday's release was mostly about Ohio. The state's environmental agency issued the final air permit for the plant's first phase, effective Oct. 27. Construction must start within 18 months, with one possible extension. The first phase would make 10,000 tonnes of anode material a year at an estimated cost of $80 million. Graphite One expects to decide whether to build it, and start construction, by April 2027.

The company also says the Export-Import Bank issued an amended, non-binding letter of interest of $1.4 billion for the plant.