Norwegian battery material manufacturer Vianode has begun construction of a large-scale synthetic graphite production plant in the Canadian province of Ontario. The project is planned as a multi-phase investment with a total volume of several billion US dollars. For the initial phase, the equivalent to around 1.4 billion US dollars has been allocated. Production capacity is expected to be gradually increased to as much as 150,000 tons per year.
Production to begin in 2028
The production facility is scheduled to begin operating in 2028. The plant is expected to create 300 jobs in the first phase and up to 1,000 jobs in the final stage. According to the company, Ontario was chosen as the location because of its infrastructure, access to low-emission electricity, and proximity to other industries. The plant is presented as Canadaʼs contribution to the “G7 Critical Minerals Production Alliance.”
China is the largest source
Currently, most of the synthetic graphite used worldwide comes from China. Synthetic graphite is a key component of lithium-ion batteries and is also used in defense technology, semiconductors, energy storage systems, steel production, and nuclear technology. Since 2024, Vianode has operated its first synthetic graphite production facility in Norway. The first products are said to have already been approved for industrial use by an unnamed automobile manufacturer.
