Graphite is drawing increased market attention as demand linked to lithium ion battery production continues to grow. Although the mineral has long been used in industrial applications such as lubricants, refractories and steelmaking, its role as the primary anode material in electric vehicle batteries has significantly elevated its strategic importance within global supply chains.
Production of natural graphite has expanded in recent years as battery demand has accelerated. Global output rose from approximately 966,000 metric tonnes in 2020 to around 1.6 million tonnes by 2024. Much of this growth has come from China, which remains the dominant force across both mining and downstream processing.
This concentration has become an increasingly important issue for governments and manufacturers as the electric vehicle industry expands. Lithium ion batteries require significant volumes of graphite, making the mineral one of the most critical raw materials in battery production. As a result, policymakers in North America and Europe have begun placing greater emphasis on developing domestic supply chains for graphite and other battery materials.
Efforts to diversify supply include financial incentives for mining projects, support for new processing facilities and broader policies aimed at strengthening critical mineral supply chains. These initiatives reflect growing recognition that battery manufacturing capacity alone is not sufficient without secure access to the raw materials that underpin it. The development of graphite mines and refining infrastructure outside traditional production centres is therefore becoming a strategic priority.
Tirupati Graphite PLC (LON:TGR) is a fully integrated specialist graphite and graphene producer, with operations in Madagascar and Mozambique. The Company is delivering on this strategy by being fully integrated from mine to graphene. Its global multi-location operations include primary mining and processing in Madagascar, hi-tech graphite processing in India to produce specialty graphite, and a state-of-art graphene and technology R&D center to be established in India.
