Video News/Future Minerals Forum 2026

Northern Graphite (TSXV: NGC) CEO Hugues Jacquemin spoke with Kitco Mining’s Paul Harris at Future Minerals Forum 2026 in Riyadh just after the company signed a $200 million agreement to develop a battery anode materials plant in Saudi Arabia. The joint venture with Obeikan Investment Group follows about a year of work and is designed to produce roughly 25,000 tons per year of battery anode material in its first phase. The project is scalable, targets a final investment decision in Q3 2026, and aims to reach production by early 2028. Jacquemin said the plant will be supplied with graphite concentrate from Northern Graphite’s Okanjande mine in Namibia, which is set to restart and expand production. He highlighted Saudi Arabia’s advantages in speed, cost, energy availability, and industrial infrastructure, as well as access to key markets. He also pointed to qualification progress with global battery manufacturers, rising geopolitical pressure to secure ex China supply chains, and a widening price gap between China and non China graphite markets. Jacquemin said the Saudi facility is intended to serve as a model for future battery materials plants in other regions.