Graphite One Reports Graphite Added to the U.S. National Defense Stockpile List With CDN $21M in Recent Funding, Graphite One Continues to Advance the Largest Known Natural Graphite Deposit in the United States
Graphite One Reports Graphite Added to the U.S. National
Defense Stockpile List
With CDN $21M in Recent Funding, Graphite One Continues to Advance the Largest Known
Natural Graphite Deposit in the United States
VANCOUVER, BC / October 7, 2021 / Graphite One Inc. (TSXV:GPH)
(OTCQX:GPHOF) ("Graphite One" or the "Company") announces that graphite was added
to the new U.S. National Defense Stockpile (NDS) Acquisitions List, one of four new materials
added for 2022.
"The inclusion of graphite on the National Defense Stockpile list is another sign of graphite's
growing importance," said Anthony Huston, CEO of Graphite One. "Coupled with the
importance of graphite to three of the four key supply chains recognized by the June 2021 White
House report, it is clear the U.S. Government sees graphite as essential to both national security
and the technology economy."
The NDS, established by the U.S. Congress in 1939, is a raw materials-based stockpile meant to
decrease or prevent "dependence upon foreign and single points of supply for strategic and
critical materials needed in times of national emergency".
The last publicly released National Defense Stockpile Requirements Report included "natural
flake graphite" on its watch list of "shortfall materials" based on modeling against specific
conflict scenarios indicating a projected graphite shortfall of more than 82,000 metric tons. The
U.S. has been 100% import-dependent for graphite since 1990 with the vast majority of supply
being reliant on graphite production from China.
The United States Government's Interim National Security Guidance issued March 4, 2021 states
as one of the U.S.'s National Security Priorities that the United States:
"…[W]ill invest in critical stockpiles and ensure that supply chains for pharmaceuticals, medical
equipment, and other critical materials required during a crisis are not overly reliant on overseas
networks prone to disruption."
The White House supply chain report of June 2021 identified three technology sectors --
advanced semiconductors, "high-capacity batteries, including Electric Vehicle (EV) batteries",
and pharmaceuticals -- as well as "critical minerals and other… strategic materials" as a fourth
supply chain, essential to technology manufacturing and the Defense Industrial Base. In addition
to being a U.S. Government-listed Critical Mineral, graphite is an essential material for both the
renewable and EV Battery sectors, and for advanced semiconductor manufacturing.
Graphite is also one of only four USG-listed Critical Minerals (2018) essential to all six
industrial sectors screened by the USGS, for which the U.S. is both 100% import-dependent,
while China is the world's leading producer.
The U.S. Government Executive Branch action parallels rising interest in the U.S. Congress on
critical minerals including graphite. The bipartisan infrastructure package ("BIF"), which has
passed the Senate and is waiting for a vote in the House of Representatives, has a number of
items of interest to Graphite One, including provisions for various pilots, demonstration and
research projects related to the supply of critical minerals.
In particular, the legislation calls for a new program to be created at the Department of Energy
(DOE) to ensure that the United States has a viable battery materials processing industry to
supply the North American battery supply chain, including enhancing the domestic processing
capacity of minerals necessary for battery materials and advanced batteries. If passed by the
House, projects to mine and develop critical minerals in Alaska, such as graphite used in lithium-
ion batteries, will be eligible for federal loan guarantees to help secure funding, while $6B would
be available for battery processing and manufacturing, including grants for processing facilities,
which would help firms looking to produce and refine battery materials such as graphite and rare
earth elements in Alaska.
For further information on the pending infrastructure bill and the possible benefits to Alaska,
click here.
Graphite One has completed over CDN $21 million in financing this year and continues to
advance its 100% owned Graphite Creek deposit. Graphite One's deposit in western Alaska
remains the largest known source of natural graphite in the United States. According to the
World Bank, global graphite demand for clean energy applications alone - primarily electric
vehicle batteries and energy storage systems -- is expected to rise by 494% between now and
2050.
Graphite One is developing a complete U.S. based supply chain solution from mine to advanced
graphite materials, including anode material for lithium-ion battery applications including EV
batteries, as well as advanced graphite for potential uses ranging from foam fire suppressant to
graphite sealants for 5G network elements and synthetic diamond for semiconductor substrates.
About Graphite One Inc.
GRAPHITE ONE INC. (TSXV:GPH) (OTCQX:GPHOF) continues to develop its Graphite One
Project (the "Project"), whereby the Company could potentially become an American producer
of high grade Coated Spherical Graphite ("CSG") that is integrated with a domestic graphite
resource. The Project is proposed as a vertically integrated enterprise to mine, process and
manufacture high grade CSG primarily for the lithium‐ion electric vehicle battery market. As set
forth in the Company's Preliminary Economic Assessment, potential graphite mineralization
mined from the Company's Graphite Creek Property, is expected to be processed into
concentrate at a graphite processing plant. The proposed processing plant would be located on
the Graphite Creek Property situated on the Seward Peninsula about 60 kilometers north of
Nome, Alaska. CSG and other value‐added graphite products, would likely be manufactured
from the concentrate at the Company's proposed graphite product manufacturing facility, the
location of which is the subject of further study and analysis. The Company intends to make a
production decision on the Project once a feasibility study is completed.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors
"Anthony Huston" (signed)
For more information on Graphite One Inc., please visit the Company's website,
www.GraphiteOneInc.com or contact:
Anthony Huston
CEO, President & Director
Tel: (604) 889-4251
Email: [email protected]
Investor Relations Contact
Tel: (604) 684-6730
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined
in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy
of this release.
This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be forward-looking statements.
All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts that address actual use of
proceeds including the timing and completion of the anticipated Pre-Feasibility Study, receipt of
regulatory approvals, implementation of a more established shipment program, exploration
drilling, exploitation activities, future production, establishment of a processing plant, and
events or developments that the Company expects, are forward-looking statements. Although the
Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on
reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual
results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.
Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking
statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continuity of
mineralization, uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and title
and delays due to third party opposition, changes in government policies regarding mining and
natural resource exploration and exploitation, and continued availability of capital and
financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Readers are cautioned not to
place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date it is
expressed in this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or
revise any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable securities laws. For
more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure
filings that are available at www.sedar.com.