Chain

Graphitization

The synthetic route: graphitizable carbon precursors — needle coke refined from petroleum coke and alternative feedstocks — are converted into synthetic graphite and shaped into uncoated spherical purified graphite for coating. This branch runs parallel to natural-route purification and particle processing, not after it, and Chinese synthetic capacity has grown fast enough to displace natural graphite demand in the United States.

Facts on this page last re-verified Aug 12, 2026 — the oldest verification date among its current claims. How we verify.

Stage diagram

The synthetic route is not an escape from Chinese dominance: synthetic graphite is folded into the PRC's estimated 92% share of global refined graphite supply (BloombergNEF 2024E, per DOE), and USGS attributes the estimated 21% drop in 2024 U.S. natural graphite consumption in part to increased availability of synthetic graphite battery material from China.

Materials at this stage: Graphitizable carbon precursor, Uncoated spherical graphite

Facility-line flow trace

Facility / line	Location	Stage and derived state	Input → output
Anovion Bainbridge Synthetic Graphite Plant Synthetic graphite anode material plant (planned)	Bainbridge, Georgia United States	Graphitization Announced	Graphitizable carbon precursor → Synthetic anode material
Anovion Sanborn Synthetic Graphite Plant Synthetic graphite anode material production	Sanborn, New York United States	Graphitization Operating	Graphitizable carbon precursor → Synthetic anode material
Birla Carbon Orangeburg Synthetic Graphite Plant Continuous heat treatment graphitization (planned)	Orangeburg, South Carolina United States	Graphitization Financed	Graphitizable carbon precursor → Synthetic anode material
NOVONIX Enterprise South Synthetic Graphite Plant Synthetic graphite manufacturing (planned)	Chattanooga, Tennessee United States	Graphitization Announced	Graphitizable carbon precursor → Synthetic anode material
NOVONIX Riverside Synthetic Graphite Facility Continuous graphitization	Chattanooga, Tennessee United States	Graphitization Commissioned	Graphitizable carbon precursor → Synthetic anode material
Syrah Vidalia Active Anode Material Facility Front-end milling and particle shaping	Vidalia, Louisiana United States	Particle processing Operating	Purified flake graphite → Uncoated spherical graphite
Syrah Vidalia Active Anode Material Facility Surface treatment and AAM finishing	Vidalia, Louisiana United States	Anode finishing Operating	Uncoated spherical graphite → Coated spherical purified graphite (CSPG)
EcoGraf Battery Anode Material Facility, Western Australia HF-free battery anode material purification (not constructed)	Site not named in any source loaded 2026-08-12, Western Australia Australia	Purification Financed	Natural graphite concentrate → Uncoated spherical graphite
Renascor Purified Spherical Graphite Facility, Bolivar PSG demonstration plant (HF-free purification)	Bolivar, South Australia Australia	Purification Commissioned	Natural graphite concentrate → Uncoated spherical graphite
Renascor Purified Spherical Graphite Facility, Bolivar Commercial PSG facility particle shaping (planned)	Bolivar, South Australia Australia	Particle processing Financed	Purified flake graphite → Uncoated spherical graphite
NMG Bécancour Battery Material Plant Shaping unit (planned)	Bécancour, Québec Canada	Particle processing Announced	Purified flake graphite → Uncoated spherical graphite
NMG Bécancour Battery Material Plant Coating unit and active anode material output (planned)	Bécancour, Québec Canada	Anode finishing Announced	Uncoated spherical graphite → Coated spherical purified graphite (CSPG)
Vianode Via TWO Synthetic Graphite Plant, St. Thomas Via TWO synthetic graphite production (planned)	St. Thomas, Ontario Canada	Graphitization Announced	Graphitizable carbon precursor → Synthetic anode material
UP Catalyst CO2Graphite Plant CO2Graphite molten-salt CO2-to-graphite line (early/pilot)	Maardu, Harju County Estonia	Graphitization Financed	Graphitizable carbon precursor → Synthetic anode material
Hycamite Kokkola Methane-Pyrolysis Graphite Plant Methane-pyrolysis battery graphite line (Kokkola Industrial Park)	Kokkola, Central Ostrobothnia Finland	Graphitization Announced	Graphitizable carbon precursor → Synthetic anode material
NGC Battery Materials BAM Plant (France, site not stated in source) Graphite purification (planned)	— France	Purification Announced	Natural graphite concentrate → Uncoated spherical graphite
NGC Battery Materials BAM Plant (France, site not stated in source) Anode coating and finishing (planned)	— France	Anode finishing Announced	Uncoated spherical graphite → Coated spherical purified graphite (CSPG)
Mitsubishi Chemical Kagawa Plant Natural-Graphite Anode Line Natural graphite anode material expansion (+11,000 t/y)	Sakaide, Kagawa Prefecture Japan	Anode finishing Announced	Uncoated spherical graphite → Coated spherical purified graphite (CSPG)
Vianode Via ONE Synthetic Anode Graphite Plant (Herøya) Via ONE synthetic anode graphite line	Porsgrunn (Herøya Industrial Park), Telemark Norway	Graphitization Operating	Graphitizable carbon precursor → Synthetic anode material
POSCO Future M Pohang Artificial Graphite Anode Plant Artificial graphite anode graphitization line	Pohang, Gyeongsangbuk-do South Korea	Graphitization Operating	Graphitizable carbon precursor, Graphitizable carbon precursor → Synthetic anode material
Talga Luleå Anode Refinery and EVA Qualification Plant Anode refinery particle shaping (planned)	Luleå, Norrbotten Sweden	Particle processing Announced	Purified flake graphite → Uncoated spherical graphite
Talga Luleå Anode Refinery and EVA Qualification Plant Anode refinery coating and finishing (planned)	Luleå, Norrbotten Sweden	Anode finishing Announced	Uncoated spherical graphite → Coated spherical purified graphite (CSPG)

Sources

U.S. Department of Energy · published Dec 1, 2024 · retrieved Aug 12, 2026 · archive unavailable: Wayback verification blocked by archive.org outage on 2026-08-12; recheck on a weekly pass
U.S. Geological Survey · published Mar 1, 2025 · retrieved Aug 12, 2026 · archive unavailable: Wayback verification blocked by archive.org outage on 2026-08-12; recheck on a weekly pass