Graphite One clears permit for 10,000-tonne synthetic graphite plant

By Olivia Hart

Graphite One plans a 10,000-tonne-a-year synthetic graphite plant in Conneaut, Ohio, with an initial $80 million capital cost after receiving its final air permit on Oct. 27.

The Conneaut project remains pre-construction. Earlier this year, Graphite One announced its interest in the battery-materials facility. Phase one includes a plant that could process synthetic graphite; a later phase would process natural graphite from the company’s Graphite Creek project in Alaska. Neither stream is running at the Ohio site.

What does the final permit change?

Graphite One announced Oct. 27 that Ohio EPA issued the final air permit for the planned Conneaut plant. The approval ends a technical review that the company announced in July. The permit covers Graphite One for 10 years, after which it must seek renewal. Construction must begin within 18 months, with a possible one-year extension.

“Receiving the final Ohio Air Permit is an important step toward establishing a domestic synthetic anode material supply chain,” G1 CEO Anthony Huston said. He said the approval advances Phase 1 toward first revenue and supports the company’s goal of becoming the first U.S. company commercially producing synthetic graphite anode material.

“Securing the final permit reflects the quality of our engineering and permitting work after a rigorous review by Ohio EPA,” G1 COO Mike Schaffner said. He said the focus now turns to engineering, procurement and financing to bring Conneaut to construction.

The permit ends the air-review process. It does not finance the factory or guarantee that construction will start on schedule.

What is the plant designed to process?

Graphite One now plans to complete final engineering on phase one, which includes a plant that could process synthetic graphite. Company leadership currently plans for 10,000 tonnes of annual processing at an initial $80 million capital cost. The company may revise that estimate after final engineering, so neither figure carries the status of a completed plant.

The release sets a fourth-quarter 2028 target for synthetic graphite sales. That date follows the company’s April 2027 construction target. It is a company target, not evidence of current output, and the 2028 commercial schedule still depends on engineering, procurement and financing.

Phase two would allow the Conneaut facility to process natural graphite from Graphite Creek in Alaska, with production targeted for 2030. In practical terms, the proposed site would handle synthetic graphite first and natural graphite from the Alaska project later.

No phase-two capacity or capital cost appears in the release, so the 2030 plan cannot yet be compared with the $80 million first-phase estimate. Graphite One also intends to place the plant on land leased from Canadian National. The company canceled an earlier plant development in Trumbull County, leaving Conneaut as the location of the announced plan.

Phase one is a 10,000-tonne-a-year proposal, not installed capacity, while phase two remains a 2030 production target rather than an operating line. Synthetic graphite comes first; natural graphite remains a 2030 extension.

Can the company meet the April 2027 schedule?

Graphite One says it hopes to have everything ready to start construction in April 2027. That is the company’s construction target, while the permit sets a separate 18-month start requirement and a possible one-year extension. The distinction matters because a target is not the same as a deadline.

Before breaking ground, Graphite One must finish phase-one engineering, procure what the plant needs and secure financing. Those tasks stand between the Oct. 27 permit and the April 2027 target. The permit closes the environmental review; the engineering, procurement and financing remain outstanding.

Conneaut City Manager Nick Sanford said conversations with G1 leadership indicate that the plans are moving forward well. He said the city wants to welcome new industry and sees an opportunity to bring it to Conneaut. The city administration is working to connect Graphite One with Kent State University Ashtabula and A-Tech to provide students with career opportunities once the plant operates.

The workforce links remain preparatory; the plant still has to be built.

What decides what happens next?

The next regulatory test is a construction start within 18 months, with a possible one-year extension; failure would put the April 2027 build and fourth-quarter 2028 synthetic graphite sales goals at risk.