Highlights:
- Black Rock Mining has struck a deal with US-based Urbix.
- Urbix is focused on manufacturing lithium-ion battery anode materials.
- Black Rock initially signed an MOU with Urbix on 1 July 2021 to explore working together.
Shares of Tanzanian graphite developer Black Rock Mining Limited (ASX:BKT) were spotted trading 25.862% higher at AU$0.182 apiece at 1:15 PM AEST on ASX on Friday (9 September 2022).
The company shared that its 84% owned Tanzanian subsidiary, Faru Graphite Corporation Limited, has signed an agreement with US-based Urbix, Inc. The conditional deal is for material from Module 2 of the Mahenge Graphite Project.
Key highlights from the deal announcement
- As per the deal, both firms will come together in forming a new supply chain to fulfil the demands of the US and European battery industries.
- Now Black Rock Mining can start construction of Module 2 simultaneously with Module 1. Urbix will be facilitating Black Rock with a considerable prepayment and/or equity support for exclusivity of offtake of 100 natural flake graphite fines from Module 2.
- The deal underlines the strength of underlying demand for Mahenge’s high-quality graphite concentrates.
- The agreement also suggests that Black Rock’s board is quite methodical in increasing the shareholder value around the establishment of alternative supply chains suitable for American and European battery makers.
- As per the deal, Black Rock has given Urbix trade exclusivity for Module 2 fines for 150 days.
Meanwhile, Urbix processing technology will deliver some vital benefits to Black Rock and its customers. These include:
- Materially lower energy consumption;
- Elimination of hydrofluoric acid use;
- Higher product yield;
- Ability to incorporate at the particle level appropriate levels of synthetic graphite material to produce a blended anode material as a drop-in product for cell manufacturers;
- Extensive third-party assessment confirming Urbix’s anode electrochemical performance.