The Ship is turning, page-53

graphite demand to increase sharply :

http://m.miningweekly.com/article/e...e-of-20bn-battery-build-revolution-2016-10-14

Energy metal demand to outpace output in wake of $20bn battery build boom

14th October 2016 BY: HENRY LAZENBY
CREAMER MEDIA DEPUTY EDITOR: NORTH AMERICA

GRAPHITE GROWTH
Meanwhile, demand for other energy metals such as graphite, which is used in the anode side of Li-ion batteries, is also increasing.

Feedstock supply in 2015 totalled about 400 000 t, with Chinese output accounting for 66% of the market. Uncoated spherical graphite supply in 2015 was virtually monopolised by China.
According to Benchmark, between 150 000 t/y and 170 000 t/y of additional graphite anode supply is needed by 2020 to keep the market in balance.

The anode market output totalled 80 000 t in 2015, produced from about 110 000 t of flake graphite feedstock. By 2020, the graphite market will increase to between 250 000 t/y and 400 000 t/y, requiring between 325 000 t/y and 365 000 t/y in feedstock to keep up with demand.

While prices trend upwards, Moores noted that the forward-looking price range of uncoated spherical graphite was widening, owing to lower-grade and divergent quality streams entering the market.

Northern Graphite CEO Greg Bowes noted that it would not take a lot of EVs to affect the graphite market. With around 400 000 preorders for the Model 3 EV, this translates to about 100 000 t of large-flake graphite and multiple new mines required to fill the growing demand.

Nevada Sunrise Gold president and CEO Warren Stanyer forecast that, by 2040, 41-million EVs would be produced each year.