Commissioned by BGV Management Group, GTK Mintec, with the participation of Metso Finland Oy, conducted laboratory and pilot tests of graphite ore from the Balakhivske deposit. The studies took place at the GTK Mintec laboratory and pilot plant in Outokumpu in January 2026.

For the tests, 13.5 tonnes of graphite ore samples in the form of split drill cores were delivered from Ukraine to Finland. The testing program included sample preparation and characterization, laboratory confirmation studies, and pilot beneficiation tests using flotation methods.

The purpose of the work was to validate the graphite ore beneficiation process flowsheet, previously developed under laboratory conditions, at a semi-industrial scale. The tests were also intended to confirm the qualitative and quantitative performance indicators of the beneficiation products, as well as the engineering parameters required for further technology scale-up within the future project.

The pilot testing flowsheet involved ore grinding in a ball mill operating in a closed circuit, followed by rougher flotation. The froth product from rougher flotation then underwent five cleaning stages and four regrinding stages.

As part of the study, specialists focused on producing a high-quality graphite concentrate with a carbon content exceeding 95%. This product is required for further research testing and potential use in high-tech industries.

As a result of the tests, a high-quality bulk graphite concentrate was produced, confirming the effectiveness of the selected ore beneficiation process flowsheet.

BGV Group Management received the results of research and development work on thermal enrichment, spheroidization, and production of coated spherical graphite (CSPG) from the concentrate of the Balakhiv deposit within the framework of the BGV Graphite project.

American Energy Technologies (Wheeling, Illinois) conducted the research throughout 2025 and early 2026 alongside Rozvytok Pobuzhzhia LLC, the BGV Group Management subsidiary spearheading the BGV Graphite project.

Testing uses a flotation graphite concentrate, a product of primary enrichment that separates graphite from waste rock, thereby significantly increasing carbon content.

Thermal purification achieved a carbon purity level of 99.999+%, meeting the stringent requirements for battery-grade anode materials in lithium-ion batteries and other high-tech industrial applications.

The research also verified the feasibility of obtaining spheroidized graphite with a 65% yield and its subsequent conversion into coated spherical graphite (CSPG) for anode applications. Specifically, the process yields 65% spherical graphite from 100% of the initial graphite following spheroidization.

The results confirm the technological feasibility of processing graphite from the Balakhiv deposit into battery-grade anode materials.

It should be noted that last year, as part of the BGV Graphite pilot project, a research sample of anode material for a lithium-ion battery was already tested. The anode was based on spherical graphite obtained from the enriched concentrate of the Balakhiv deposit. Graphite spheroidization was performed in October 2024 at NETZSCH’s facilities. The testing results showed that the electrochemical indicators meet world standards.

Additionally, in June 2025, the BGV Graphite project became the only Ukrainian initiative included in the European Commission’s list of 194 strategic projects. The Balakhiv graphite deposit was officially recognized as part of the European Union’s strategic framework for critical raw materials, a decision formally approved by the European Commission.