Graphinex Opens Australia’s First Fully Integrated Battery Anode Hub
Harry Minnis
11 July 2025
- Graphinex has launched Australia’s first fully integrated mine-to-anode graphite facility in Townsville, marking a major step toward domestic battery material production.
- The Queensland Government has fast-tracked the Esmeralda Project by granting Coordinated Project status, accelerating approvals and underlining its strategic importance.
- This facility is a national first, capable of taking graphite from raw resource to battery-ready anode material using commercial-scale equipment – enabling off-take qualification.
- Australia is emerging as a global graphite supply hub, with Benchmark Mineral Intelligence highlighting the country’s competitive costs and infrastructure advantages compared to other regions outside China.
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Graphinex has officially opened its new Battery Anode Hub in Townsville, Australia. Marking a major milestone toward building a fully domestic supply chain for battery-grade graphite in Australia.
The launch coincides with news from the Queensland Government that Graphinex’s Esmeralda Graphite Project has been granted Coordinated Project status which fast-tracks the approvals process.
It’s a state-of-the-art facility that takes graphite from our mine sites all the way through to battery over to material,” said Managing Director Art Malone. “The mine site and our resources in the area are the third largest globally and it produces the highest performing batteries globally.”
Australia’s First Mine-to-Battery Anode Facility
The Townsville Hub is being called the first of its kind in Australia – a fully integrated facility that spans the entire graphite value chain, from raw extraction to battery-ready anode material. “There are companies trialing little bits and pieces of this process,” Malone said. “But this takes every part of the flow sheet; from mine site through to making the battery. So, it is an Australian first.”
Built over 18 months, the facility includes specialised commercial-scale equipment never before used in Australia. That equipment allows Graphinex to produce material at off-take scale, enabling battery partners to test and qualify product that mirrors final production.
The demonstration plant will initially be staffed by a team of 10. But the long-term vision is significantly larger.
Government Fast-Tracks Development with Coordinated Project Status
The Esmeralda Graphite Project – covering both the Croydon mine and Townsville processing plant – has been designated a Coordinated Project under Queensland’s major project framework, giving it whole-of-government support through the approvals process.
“It streamlines approvals, cuts our development timeline by at least 12 months,” Malone said.
Queensland officials see the project as a cornerstone of their critical minerals push. Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Dale Last noted that the region holds one of the largest graphite deposits in the world, with an estimated 25 million tonnes of resource. He described the facility as a “proof of concept” for how Australia can turn natural advantage into industrial capability.
Moving from Raw Exports to Value-Added Manufacturing
Assistant Minister for Resources Anthony Chisholm said the project marks a shift in how Australia handles its resource wealth.
“Australia and regional Queensland have been great at digging up resources for decades, but what we haven’t been great at doing is value adding. And that’s the opportunity that critical minerals present to us, and that’s what we need to take advantage of, and what this facility is going to take advantage of into the future.”
Global demand for graphite is expected to soar over the next five years – and this project positions Australia to benefit.
What’s Next?
The mine is expected to open in the next 12 to 18 months.
But in the meantime, the Townsville Hub will continue producing anode material for off-take qualification – helping secure long-term customers.
As a Coordinated Project, environmental and community processes will be managed by the Queensland Coordinator-General, Gerard Coggan, who described the role as key to ensuring the project delivers on its environmental, social, and economic responsibilities.
Australia’s Emerging Graphite Sector
Graphinex joins a growing field of Australian companies developing domestic graphite and anode supply chains, including Renascor Resources and International Graphite. Renascor is progressing its Siviour battery anode project in South Australia, while International Graphite is advancing its Springdale project alongside downstream processing.
According to Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, Australia is expected to become “a new hub for flake graphite supply,” with projects here offering relatively low capital intensity and operating costs. Senior graphite analyst Camila Cardili noted that when compared to North American or European assets, Australian projects are “among the lowest operating cost assets” outside China – with the added advantage of stable infrastructure and regulatory frameworks.
