On Friday, Jan 30, President of Mozambique Daniel Chapo officially commissioned the start of graphite production at the country’s Nipepe mine in northern Mozambique, marking his nation’s official entry into the resource benefaction business, a fact of which Chapo did not fail to take notice. “Today we are entering the world’s industrial map,” he told Reuters, adding, “We are no longer a supplier of raw materials, but a producer, processor and exporter of materials.”
The plant is expected to produce 200,000 metric tons of graphite per year, not an insignificant amount with global production (dominated by China) standing at 1.6 million metric tons annually. The $20 billion plant is said to have been initiated in 2014. Graphite, a highly refined, crystalline form of carbon (coal), has numerous industrial applications, including use as a high temperature lubricant in the production of steel; as a radar-impervious coating for stealth aircraft; and use in EVs and cell phones.
