Graphite One Inc. has cleared another regulatory milestone for its planned Active Anode Materials (AAM) facility in Conneaut, Ohio, after the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency determined the company's air permit application advanced it into technical review.

 

The decision marks a key step in the state's permitting process, confirming the application contains the information required for a detailed technical evaluation before an air permit can be issued.

 

"Acceptance into technical review reflects the quality of the work completed by G1's engineering and permitting teams," said Mike Schaffner, Chief Operating Officer. "We appreciate Ohio EPA's review and remain focused on advancing the project efficiently toward construction."

 

The Conneaut facility is planned to manufacture synthetic active anode materials, a critical component in lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles, grid-scale energy storage systems and other advanced technologies. The plant is expected to initially produce about 10,000 tonnes annually before expanding to 25,000 tonnes per year.

 

Graphite One said its non-linear development strategy allows the Ohio facility to begin production independently of the company's Graphite Creek Project near Nome, Alaska, creating an earlier path to revenue than a traditional mine-first development model.

 

Together, the Ohio facility and the planned Graphite Creek mine are intended to establish the first fully integrated domestic U.S. graphite supply chain—from mining graphite in Alaska to producing advanced battery materials in Ohio. 

 

The company says the vertically integrated strategy is designed to strengthen U.S. manufacturing competitiveness, reduce reliance on foreign supply chains and improve long-term supply chain resilience.

 

The latest permitting milestone also builds on ongoing regulatory progress at Graphite Creek. Subject to permitting, regulatory approvals and financing, the company expects synthetic AAM production at the Ohio facility to begin in the fourth quarter of 2027, while natural graphite production in Alaska remains targeted for 2029.

 

"Today's milestone is another demonstration of the disciplined execution of our strategy to build the first fully integrated domestic U.S. graphite supply chain," said Anthony Huston, President, & CEO. 

 

"Every permitting, engineering, financing, and customer engagement milestone reduces execution risk and moves us closer to commercial production. Together, these parallel workstreams strengthens Graphite One's position as a strategic domestic supplier of advanced graphite materials supporting America's battery and energy storage industries. 

 

"We remain focused on achieving additional project milestones throughout 2026 while creating long-term value for our shareholders, customers, and strategic partners."