Graphite resilience for lithium-Ion battery anodes through a sustainable European supply chain

Graphite resilience for lithium-Ion battery anodes through a sustainable European supply chain Abdeltif Lahfi d1, Laurent Guillou Frottier¹, Eleonora Calì²*, Tommaso Liut², Rocio Milagros Renna², Laura Cornacchia², Nora Ganzinelli², Ostap Kostyuk³ In pursuit of a sustainable and circular battery economy as required by the 2030 EU Battery Regulation, implementing commercially viable methods to upgrade natural graphite to the purity standards required for Li-ion batteries in the European EV supply chains is a sought-after goal. Compared to synthetic graphite, natural graphite can be made into battery-ready material requiring a fraction of energy input and lower overall processing costs, hence resultingin the production of higher specifi c capacity material with signifi cantly lower environmental impact. 1. INTRODUCTION 2. GRAPHITE-BEARING AREAS OF THE ZAVALIVSKYI GRAPHITE DEPOSIT 2 3 Promizhna area: The ore bodies thickness varies from 1-2 to 25.2 m; their lengthvaries from several tens of meters to 1.4 km. All bodies are subparallel, stratiform or, less commonly, lenticular inshape. Their thickness is unstable, and they are separatedby interlayers of various thicknesses and lenses of barrenrocks. The ore bodies dip is subvertical (from 75° to 90°). The ore bodies total thickness along exploration lines varies from 50 to 300 m, and the total thickness of intra-ore layers varies from 4 to 50 m. Pivdenno-Skhidna area: All ore bodies lie subparallel, have a dip at high angle (75-80°). Zarichna area: The ore body is an ore-bearing stratum with the thickness of 80-120 m, and the length of 550 m. It lies subconcordantly with the host gneisses and pegmatites and has a high-angle dip (75 °- 80 °) to the North. 2 3 The Zavalievsky Graphite deposit (Ukrainian Shield) hosts high-quality metamorphic graphite formed predominantly through the regional metamorphism of organic-rich Precambrian sediments. 3. RESULTS ab Optical microscopy (a) and Scanning Electron MicroscopyEnergy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) were used to characterize the morphology and main elemental composition of gneiss (graphite-bearing rock). The microphotograph (a) shows the graphitic particles in black colour, while the quartz appears in lighter colours. The chemical mapping of the sample (b) shows that graphite is quasi pure and only Si might be diffi cult to remove from the rock during purifi cation. Mineralogical data Raman spectra obtained from diff erent graphite-bearing rocks showed variations in the temperature of graphite formation in the Zavalievsky Graphite deposit. By applying Raman Spectroscopy on carbonaceous materials, it is possible to obtain temperature values related to the formation period of the diff erent components of the graphite samples. For graphite genesis, T values ranging from 450 to 640 °C were found. Raman Spectroscopydata Numerical modelling data Numerical models of fl uid circulation within permeable zones can help understanding how mineralization settles. Using Comsol Multiphysics™, Darcy law and heat equation are coupled and mass conservation is applied in order to obtain the Rock Alteration Index (RAI), which is the scalar product of the fl uid velocity by the temperature gradient. Mineralized zones correspond to negative RAI values (Philipps et al, 1991). When RAI is negative (red zones), it represents a cooling rate where precipitation/mineralization can occur. When the mineralization rate is maximum, the mineralization pattern is organized as a network of deep parallel and subvertical veins of widths ~ 50-100 m, separated by interlayers of barren zones. These features correspond to what observed at Zavalievsky deposits. The fi gure reports an exampleof mineralized areas (in red) when fl uid circulation occurs through a network of parallel permeable fault zones. Isotherms are in white contours,whereas fl uid velocity is illustrated by arrows. White dashed lines represent the level of erosion. On the right is the present-day map view of diff erent graphite deposits atZavalivskyi. Regimes diagram for the localisation of mineralization, when a single inclined fault zone is considered are shown in the fi gure (bottom left-hand side). A map of the diff erent mineralization areas can hence be generated for the site. Mineralized (RAI < 0) Barren (RAI > 0) 5. CONCLUSIONS AND FUTURE WORK 4. PROJECT IMPACTS Preliminary results indicate that the prototype developed under the GRAPHITE project shows early potential for application in energy-intensive industries, commercial & industrial facilities with renewable integration, and microgrid/off -grid systems. Initial performance observations suggest that part of the current operational demand in these contexts could be met by this technology, subject to further validation and scaling. This aligns with accelerating market trends, with 49.4 GW / 136.5 GWh of grid-scale battery capacity commissioned globally in the fi rst 9 months of 2025 – a 36 % increase compared to 2024 — and a rapidly growing C&I storage sector projected to exceed USD 35 billion by 2030. In parallel, GR4PHITE3’s approach to upgrading natural graphite into battery-grade material with lower energy inputs off ers strategic advantages for the European value chain, reducing reliance on synthetic graphite and minimizing environmental impact. This is fully consistent with the goals of the EU Battery Regulation 2030, which aim to foster a sustainable and circular battery economy, supported by instruments like the EU Battery Passport and mandatory recycled content targets. While additional testing and validation are required, these preliminary fi ndings highlight a promising direction for future industrial deployment and regulatory alignment. Future work will focus on defi ning a clear and realistic roadmap for the introduction of the prototype into specifi c industrial sectors. This includes identifying priority applications, technical integration pathways, and potential business models that can support early market uptake. To achieve this, we aim to actively engage with companies across multiple sectors, fostering alignment of technical development with real operational needs. Special attention will be given to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), not only as potential early adopters, but also as key enablers of innovation, capable of testing new use cases, accelerating market feedback loops, and facilitating broader deployment within the European battery value chain. Finally, a prototype to enhance the European supply chain and guarantee adherence to existing and upcoming EU regulations is reported. It is demonstrated how this prototype enables the replication of such graphite processing chain to strengthen European competitiveness in battery production, targeting all the sectors involved in the value chain. The GR4FITE3 project is organized in diff erent Key Exploitable Results (KERs)* that follow the value chain (in fi gure): KER#3: Zero-HF Chemical Purifi cation Unit to obtain to obtain a minimum purity level of 99.95% wt.% carbon Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design KER#4: Low cost and effi cient sustainable thermal purifi cation unit Gas Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine KER#6: Innovative Gas-Fired Reactor capable of curing nano-scale coatings based on water-based carbon pitch Gas Institute of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine KER#7: High calendared density anode production KER#8: Cell production Fundacion Cidetec KER#2: Recovery, repairing, and reusing of synthetic graphite from spent Li-ion batteries Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design KER#9: New LCA insights including recycled graphite supply chain Minviro KER#5: Hybridized particles composed in-situ of primary natural, recycled synthetic graphite with nanosized silicon or silicon oxide Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design As seen on the left-hand side of the poster, this focuses on the geological parameters – such as temperature and pressure – that control the development of well-crystallized graphite. Applications range from: i) resource assessment of in-situ graphite reserves; ii) exploration targeting; iii) mine planning, extraction; iv) environmental analysis supporting mitigation strategies and permitting. The developed material minimizes damage to the graphite structure while maximizing electrode density, addressing a limitation of commercially available graphite materials. This structure enhances specifi c capacity while retaining structural stability and processability. The approach leverages lowcost recycled graphite and enables partial substitution of conventional graphite in lithium-ion battery anodes, off ering improved energy density with minimal adaptation to existing electrode manufacturing lines. * KERs are (in)tangible outputs that show potential for market exploitation or socio-economic impact. These strategic outcomes show outstanding strategic impact and relevance for the project’s success and valorisation. 1 BRGM, ISTO, UMR 7327, 45071, Orléans, France | 2 RINA Coulting S.p.A., Via Antonio Cecchi 6, 16129, Genoa, Italy 3 Zavalievsky Graphite (ZG), Sholudenka Street Building 6, 01135 Kyiv, Ukraine Graphite ore Crude oil Mining & flotation Coking & calcining Refining Purification Graphitization Coating Coating Natural graphite Li-ion cells production Shaping (spheroidization) Electrode manufacturing (mixing, drying, calendering, slitting) Shaping (spheroidization) Synthetic graphite Recycling Graphite ore Crude oil Mining & flotation Coking & calcining Refining Purification Graphitization Coating Coating Natural graphite Li-ion cells production Shaping (spheroidization) Electrode manufacturing (mixing, drying, calendering, slitting) Shaping (spheroidization) Synthetic graphite Recycling KER#1: 3D geological and thermal structure model Bureau de Recerches Geologiques et Minieres Contact us:  gr4fi te3.eu  info@gr4fi te3.eu