Under the BGV Graphite project, Pobuzhzhya’s Development LLC has entered into new partnerships to construct a mining and processing plant at the Balakhiv graphite deposit. The agreements were made with top Ukrainian and international companies handling project documentation, basic engineering, and a full range of scientific research and development activities (R&D).

• In particular, an agreement has been signed with KAI LLC to develop design documentation for the construction of a quarry and a dump, enabling construction to commence after the completion of the state examination.
• The contract with METSO Finland Oy provides for the development of basic engineering for the enrichment plant. This work will result in obtaining data for the detailed design of the plant. The type of equipment, its location in the factory building according to the height marks, the location of communication lines, the load on the foundations for the equipment, and other parameters will be determined.
• Within the framework of cooperation with the Kyiv National University of Technology and Design, an agreement has been signed to conduct research and development work on the BGV Graphite project. The university will utilize its own technology to produce CSPG (Coated Spherical Purified Graphite) – anode material for lithium-ion batteries, create research samples, and investigate physicochemical characteristics.
• A contract was also established with AETC (USA) to manufacture CSPG using thermal enrichment. This method not only purifies graphite from ash impurities but also partially graphitizes the product, ultimately enhancing the properties of both graphite and graphite-based products. It should be noted that this technique has minimal environmental impact when compared to other graphite purification methods.
• During the studies on the enrichment of graphite ore, it was found that the tailings of the enrichment contain kaolin in an amount of about 30%. If the studies are successful, the BGV Graphite project will also be able to produce another valuable product – kaolin. Pobuzhzhya’s Development LLC has involved the German company DORFNER ANZAPLAN GmbH for the relevant laboratory studies.

The BGV Graphite team anticipates completing the Feasibility stage within the next year and plans to commence plant construction in 2025-2026. So far, BGV has already invested nearly $10 million in the PEA (Preliminary Economic Assessment) and PFS (Pre-Feasibility Study) stages of the graphite project, which includes expenses for a special permit, drilling, related work, laboratory tests, operational costs, and the PFS report itself.