CONNEAUT, Ohio : Graphite One Inc. has advanced its bid to establish a domestic electric vehicle (EV) supply chain, announcing that the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has accepted its air permit application for a planned synthetic anode material (AAM) plant.
The Ohio EPA deemed the application for the Conneaut facility “preliminarily and administratively complete” on July 16, 2026. The project has now moved into the technical review phase, a critical regulatory step required before construction can begin on the US$167 million facility.
The plant is designed to produce synthetic active anode material, a key component in lithium-ion batteries for EVs and grid-scale energy storage. Graphite One targets an initial production capacity of 10,000 tonnes per year, with plans to scale operations to 25,000 tonnes per year.
Vertical Integration and Federal Support
The Ohio facility is the secondary pillar of Graphite One’s integrated U.S. strategy. Feedstock for the plant is expected to eventually come from the company’s Graphite Creek project in Alaska, which is recognized as the largest known graphite deposit in the United States.
The project has garnered significant federal attention, designated as a High Priority Infrastructure Project under the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council (FAST-41). It is also supported by the Department of Defense (DoD), reflecting the strategic importance of reducing U.S. reliance on foreign graphite imports, particularly from China.
2027 Production Timeline
Subject to final permitting, financing, and regulatory approvals, Graphite One aims to start synthetic AAM production in Ohio by the fourth quarter of 2027. This development follows broader mining permit reforms aimed at accelerating domestic critical mineral infrastructure…