Local

Graphite One manufacturing plant coming to Trumbull County, could bring 160 jobs to area

By Staff report Mahoning Matters
Graphite One Inc. announced it has entered into a 50-year, option-to-buy lease on land at the old Warren Depot site in Weathersfield Township in Trumbull County. Their goal is to mine and manufacture graphite that is used for the production of batteries in electric vehicles.
Graphite One Inc. announced it has entered into a 50-year, option-to-buy lease on land at the old Warren Depot site in Weathersfield Township in Trumbull County. Their goal is to mine and manufacture graphite that is used for the production of batteries in electric vehicles. FILE Shuttershock

A Vancouver-based manufacturing company hoping to complete a U.S. supply chain for advanced graphite materials picked Voltage Valley as the site for a new graphite anode manufacturing plant.

Graphite One Inc. announced it has entered into a 50-year, option-to-buy lease on land at the old Warren Depot site in Weathersfield Township in Trumbull County.

A report stated that the plant on an 85-acre site could employ about 160 people when the project is completed.

What does Graphite One do?

Their goal is to mine and manufacture graphite that is used to produce batteries in electric vehicles.

The Weathersfield Township location is an expansion of the Alaska-based Graphite One.

Anthony Huston, president and CEO of Graphite One, said a material like graphite is critical to the U.S. maintaining a 21st-century tech-driven economy.

The old Warren Depot is a brownfield; but 30 years ago, the federal government mined graphite and stored national defense stockpile minerals at the same site.

“On a historical note, it’s great to come full circle,” said Huston.

Through funding from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the site was cleaned and checked for hazardous materials before going up for sale.

“Graphite One is delighted… to be building our advanced graphite material processing plant in northeast Ohio as the region emerges as a major electric vehicle hub,” said Huston. “Ohio is the perfect home for the second link in our strategy to build a 100 percent U.S. based advanced graphite supply chain – from mining to refining to recycling.”

In the news release, Huston said he liked the Mahoning Valley location because it produces ample low-cost electricity from renewable energy sources, is accessible by road and rail, and has nearby barging facilities on Lake Erie.

When completed, the plant is expected to produce 25,000 tons of battery-ready anode material per year, with follow-up plans to ramp up production to potentially 100,000 tons per year.

The company is expected to invest initially $435 million in capital costs for the facility. U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Painesville, said the project should spur even more economic growth in the area.

“I look forward to seeing the success of this project right here in the 14 th District,” said Joyce, whose district includes Trumbull County.

According to the company news release, construction of the facility is expected to begin within 36 months, subject to financing.

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