Introduction and Context

Graphite has quietly become one of the most strategic materials in the clean energy transition, supporting technologies from electric vehicle (EV) batteries to grid-scale storage and hydrogen fuel cells. In lithium-ion batteries, graphite accounts for roughly 45–55% of total cell mass, making it by far the largest single component (MINING.com, 2023; Stanford Energy, 2024). As the dominant anode material, it has no scalable substitute for storing lithium ions, making it indispensable to current battery chemistries.

With global EV adoption accelerating and renewable infrastructure expanding, demand for battery-grade graphite is projected to increase fourfold by 2030 (MINING.com, 2023; Ahead of the Herd, 2024). Yet supply security has emerged as a major vulnerability: China currently controls about 95% of global processed graphite capacity, creating a single-point dependency that mirrors its dominance in other battery metals.