Interesting for Triton shareholders- Are we going to fill the +50 mesh shortage? I think Jinan are interested for a reason.
Annual Chinese demand for expandable graphite is approximately 70,000 tonnes. China only produces 25,000tpa of +50 mesh flake and the balance is made up of less desirable +80 mesh flake. The demand for expandable graphite with very high expansion rates is growing even more rapidly and this requires +32 mesh flake graphite.
There is currently a shortage of both +50 mesh and +32 mesh material in China as there is in the rest of Asia as well as Europe. China has now started to import +50 mesh concentrates from Madagascar.
In the short to medium term the graphite opportunity is clearly in the large/XL flake markets which are high price and high margin with supply shortages. Longer term, new western sources of small flake production will be required to meet the expected growth in the EV/LiB markets and provide security of supply
TON Price at posting:
3.7¢ Sentiment: Buy Disclosure: Held
