Graphite One Inc. has moved a step closer to establishing a domestic battery materials supply chain in the United States after the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (Ohio EPA) accepted the company’s air permit application for its planned synthetic active anode material (AAM) manufacturing facility in Conneaut, Ohio.
The Ohio EPA determined that the application for the proposed facility was “preliminarily and administratively complete” on July 16, 2026. The application will now move to the technical review phase, a key step before construction of the planned US$167 million facility can begin.
The proposed Ohio plant is expected to play a significant role in Graphite One’s strategy to develop an integrated, US-based supply chain for graphite and battery materials. Synthetic active anode material is a critical component of lithium-ion batteries, which are widely used in electric vehicles (EVs), energy storage systems, consumer electronics, and other applications.
Graphite One plans to initially produce approximately 10,000 tonnes of synthetic AAM annually at the Ohio facility. The company has outlined plans to eventually expand production capacity to 25,000 tonnes per year, depending on market demand and the development of its broader domestic supply chain.
The Conneaut facility represents the downstream manufacturing component of Graphite One’s integrated US strategy. In the long term, the company expects to source graphite feedstock from its Graphite Creek project in Alaska. The project is considered the largest known graphite deposit in the United States and is intended to provide a domestic source of graphite for battery manufacturing.
Graphite One’s proposed supply chain is designed to connect domestic graphite mining and processing operations with anode material production in Ohio. The strategy could help strengthen the US battery industry by reducing dependence on imported graphite and other critical battery materials.
The Ohio project has also attracted attention from the US federal government because of the strategic importance of graphite to the energy transition and national security. The project has been designated as a High Priority Infrastructure Project under the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council’s FAST-41 framework, which is intended to improve coordination and accelerate the permitting process for major infrastructure developments.
The US Department of Defense (DoD) has also supported Graphite One’s broader efforts, highlighting the importance of developing domestic sources of critical minerals and reducing the country’s reliance on overseas supply chains. China currently plays a dominant role in the global graphite supply chain, including graphite processing and the production of battery-grade materials.
Graphite One is targeting the start of synthetic AAM production at the Ohio facility in the fourth quarter of 2027, subject to receiving the necessary permits, securing financing, and obtaining other regulatory approvals. The company’s Alaska mining operations are currently targeted to begin in 2029.
Until domestic graphite production from Graphite Creek becomes available, the Ohio facility is expected to process third-party feedstock. This approach would allow Graphite One to begin serving battery material markets before its upstream mining operations are fully operational.
The development comes as the US seeks to build a more resilient domestic battery supply chain to support growing demand for EVs and stationary energy storage. Graphite is a particularly important material in this effort, as it is the primary material used in the anodes of most commercial lithium-ion batteries.
The project also reflects a wider push among critical mineral companies to establish vertically integrated supply chains within the US. By combining domestic mining, processing, and anode material manufacturing, companies are seeking to improve supply security while positioning themselves to benefit from growing demand for batteries and energy storage.
If completed as planned, Graphite One’s Ohio facility could become an important part of the US battery materials ecosystem, providing domestic synthetic anode material production while the company works toward integrating supply from its Alaska graphite resource.
With the air permit application now entering technical review, the next stages of the project will focus on regulatory approvals, financing, and construction planning. Graphite One’s progress will be closely watched as the US continues efforts to reduce its dependence on imported critical minerals and strengthen its domestic battery manufacturing capabilities.
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