Carbon materials supplier Graphjet Technology, which was set up in 2019 to produce artificial graphite from biomass waste residues from palm oil, has started up its first commercial-scale green graphite facility in Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. It says that the facility is the world’s first commercial-scale plant capable of recycling palm kernel shells, a highly abundant agricultural waste byproduct in Malaysia, to produce battery-grade graphite.
The new facility has the capacity to recycle up to 9,000 tonnes/year of palm kernel shells, producing up to 3,000 tonnes/year of graphite. This level of production is sufficient to support battery production for approximately 40,000 electric vehicles (EVs) per year.
With a footprint exceeding 91,000 sq ft, Graphjet’s facility will support a local workforce of 200 jobs.
Graphjet adds it has received its first shipment of palm kernel shells and has begun shipping green graphite product samples to its customers. Additionally, the company plans to produce hard carbon at the facility to provide feedstock for its planned green graphite facility in Nevada.
“The Graphjet team has achieved a monumental step towards the execution of our strategy and vision to become a reliable supplier of green graphite globally,” said Aiden Lee, CEO/Co-Founder of Graphjet.
“With this facility online, Graphjet is now the primary player in green graphite production outside of China, as the company has the largest production capacity ex-China. This facility, which is the first graphite facility to commence operations outside of China, demonstrates our ability to leverage our technology at scale, and we are proud to commence commercial operations at the world’s largest green graphite facility of its kind. This facility will provide us with an ability to generate revenue by FY 2025, support our valued customers, and establish a strong foundation for a successful launch in the United States in Nevada.”
Graphjet’s facility utilises the company’s patented technology to produce green graphite directly from palm kernel shells. This technology reduces the company’s operational carbon footprint by up to 83% and reduces costs by up to 80% compared to traditional processes.
It adds that per kg of graphite produced, only 2.95 kg C02 is emitted, compared to 16.8 kg C02 emissions and 17 kg C02 emissions from natural and synthetic graphite production, respectively, in China.
Graphjet’s technology is expected to have the lowest carbon footprint of any graphite production process in the world.