Moving from Talk to Action on Critical Minerals
|
|
|
|
PERSPECTIVES No.12 | November 5, 2025
Is it finally starting to happen?
As world leaders gathered in Toronto for G7 and B7 meetings last week, Canada used the stage to move from talk to action in the global critical minerals race, announcing 26 new investments and partnerships alongside nine allied nations.
It was the kind of straight talk many in our industry have been waiting for from Canada as we watched other jurisdictions move aggressively over recent months to secure sustainable, future supplies of critical minerals and rare earths.
“We are moving from talk to action,” Canada Minister for Energy and Natural Resources Tim Hodgson told the G7, lauding Canada’s capacity as a bridge builder. “In an era defined by digital transformation and geopolitical uncertainty, Canada through its G7 Presidency, is leading work with trusted international partners to strengthen supply chains, reduce dependencies and ensure access to the resources essential for clean energy, advanced manufacturing and defence,” the government said in a press release to announce critical minerals industry investments.
Northern Graphite was proud to be a part of two of those announcements. The first was a letter of intent for an offtake and toll processing agreement with Italy’s Alkeemia to take up to 50 percent of the production capacity of a pilot graphite purification plant it is developing in Porto Marghera for use in battery and advanced technology applications. Alkeemia’s process will mean a lower carbon footprint than competing technologies out of China and is also simpler, faster, more cost-effective, and less toxic than conventional methods. You can read more about that here: Northern Graphite Signs Letter of Intent with Italy’s Alkeemia to Secure Access to Cleaner Graphite Purification Technology Independent of China. Northern and Alkeemia are also in discussions to expand the partnership beyond the pilot phase, exploring the potential to scale the technology to a full industrial level as part of Northern’s broader strategy to establish Western-based, vertically integrated supply chains for graphite and battery anode materials.
Northern also just announced a joint R&D initiative by a consortium made up of its battery materials group and Rain Carbon Canada Inc. and which has received funding support of up to C$860,000 (€530,000) under the Canada–Germany Collaborative Industrial Research and Development Program. The 24-month project will focus on transforming low-value natural graphite fine fractions byproduct into high-performance, battery-grade anode material (BAM) and is jointly supported through advisory services and funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) through its Central Innovation Program for small and mid-size companies (ZIM). Read more about that here: Northern Graphite and Rain Carbon Announce R&D Grant to Develop Sustainable Battery Anode Materials.
“Canada’s collaboration with international partners reinforces the country’s reputation as a place to do business, strengthens its position as a trusted supplier and encourages greater investment in Canadian mining and processing projects,” Energy and Natural Resources Canada said.
That Canada is taking a stance in the race to supply the world’s critical minerals is clear, but let’s be pragmatic: the race has just begun.
Let’s make it happen!
Hugues Jacquemin
Chief Executive Officer, Northern Graphite
Hugues Jacquemin is the CEO of Northern Graphite and has more than 30 years senior management experience growing Specialty Materials businesses for listed Fortune 500 & Private Equity firms.
Perspectives is researched, written and produced by Northern Graphite.
