PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed Mineral Commodities (MRC) has struck a memorandum of understanding with Japanese major Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC) to collaborate on graphitic anode materials supply in Europe.

The two companies will explore collaboration opportunities under two phases.

Phase 1 will evaluate a manufacturing and supply agreement in which MRC, through a wholly-owned Norwegian subsidiary Ascent Graphite, will construct and operate an anode plant in Norway to toll treat graphitic material supplied by MCC for subsequent delivery to MCC.

Phase 2 will evaluate a broader business collaboration agreement to produce and sell active anode materials in Europe manufactured using MRC’s purified graphitic materials and MCC’s active anode materials technologies and experience in material qualification, marketing and sales.

MRC said on Wednesday that Phase 1 of the agreement is considerably advanced with MRC conducting engineering design for the anode plant with a final investment decision expected in the third quarter of 2022.

Phase 2 targets a broader collaboration to manufacture and sell high quality active anode materials in Europe, leveraging MRC’s natural graphite concentrates starting with Skaland graphite, MRC’s environmentally sustainable natural graphite purification technology that does not use toxic hydrofluoric acid, MCC’s active anode materials technologies, and MCC’s active anode materials qualification, marketing and sales experience.

“MCC have significant experience and expertise in the production, qualification and marketing of anode materials which makes them the perfect collaborative partner to build our European sustainable graphitic anode production strategy, initially based on Skaland graphite natural graphite concentrate,” said MRC CEO and MD Jacob Deysel.

“With our Phase 1 toll manufacturing agreement, we will gain early entry and invaluable experience in the anode materials supply chain. The Phase 2 business collaboration provides the opportunity to leverage MCC’s expertise and our natural graphite operations at Skaland and environmentally sustainable purification technology for Europe’s first vertically integrated ore-to-anode materials business.”