October 1 Houston Luncheon focus on graphite

[dan_s]

Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. (NMG) is hosting our next Houston luncheon on October 1st. Graphite is used in rechargeable batteries and demand for the metal could go way up if pure Graphene Batteries become all the rage because they recharge MUCH FASTER than lithium batteries.

Is The Graphene Singularity Here?
Alex Koyfman | Sep 18, 2024
Dear Reader,

Another week, another step forward for graphene battery commercialization.

This time, we have an actual product launch — perhaps the most significant yet.

On September 13, Chinese electric scooter maker Yadea, the biggest in the world in sales for seven years running, announced three new models, the Orla, Ocean, and iCute, along with a series of retail branch openings in Thailand.

These models, among other things, will be powered by Yadea’s revolutionary TTFAR graphene batteries — boasting a 3x lifespan and 25% charge capacity improvement over the current standard.

To date, these are among the largest mainstream consumer products to feature graphene batteries.

Now I know what you may be thinking… The Chinese producing graphene batteries? Doesn’t that completely counter the Chinese's lithium-based economic doctrine?

Well, perhaps not.

Not All Graphene Batteries Are Created Equal

You see, Yadea’s batteries do not use graphene in place of lithium. Instead, they are in large part structurally similar to traditional lithium-ion batteries, with graphene used primarily in the heat dissipation role.

And that makes perfect sense, given that graphene is the most effective known thermal conductor.

But the bigger picture here is that the Chinese are not changing lanes and dropping their focus on lithium, but rather doubling down on their commitment to the metal by evolving lithium-ion battery design to stay competitive.

And why wouldn’t they? Over the last three decades, they’ve invested untold billions in the development of the lithium refinement and battery production industries.

Today, they are the world’s biggest suppliers of both battery grade lithium, as well as the end product.

One doesn’t just up and abandon a course that is this well established.

Not everyone sees things the same way, however, and this has created one of the biggest opportunities yet seen in the battery space.

A Battery That Charges 70x As Fast?

There is a company operating outside of China that’s taking things to the next level by designing a battery that’s 100% lithium free, graphene based.

This company, operating out of Brisbane, has no allegiance to the world’s currently most popular energy metal.

Instead, they’re focused on developing graphene for a number of consumer applications, all made possible by an advanced graphene production process which lowers the cost to fully scalable levels.

Batteries are one of a few key products this company is working on, and though it's still early in the game, the prospects here should give any retail investor pause.

Because this class of graphene based batteries leave even Yadea’s next generation graphene-augmented batteries in the dust.

Service life and charge capacity will both go up by a factor of 3-5, while charge speed, the single most often cited hurdle for prospective first time
EV buyers, is enhanced by a factor of 70x.

Just imagine the implications.

Equipped with these batteries, your phone or your car will charge to capacity in less than a minute.

Why The Future May Be Lithium Free

All this with superior heat-management, a lifespan measured in decades, and enough charge capacity to make charging a once a week or even once a month proposition.

These pure graphene batteries also have another distinct advantage: They don’t depend on lithium. No lithium dependance means no dependance on the industrial juggernaut the Chinese communist part, who has monopolized this metal over the last thirty five years.

And that makes graphene one of the few viable lithium alternatives which will leave the Chinese in a weakened geopolitical position.

The company that’s doing all this remains small and mostly unknown outside the industry, but it’s trading actively on two north American exchanges.

You won't read about it anywhere else, and yet, I predict that within ten years, this company has a very good shot at completely disrupting the lithium-ion battery market — a market that's projected to hit a quarter trillion dollars in sales, per year, by the end of this decade.

It could be the most important battery company in business today… And it could mean a world of difference to any portfolio.

Alex Koyfman

[dan_s]

To attend the October luncheon at Maggiano's register here:
https://energyprospectus.com/nouveau-monde-graphite-luncheon/

Recent updates from NMG:

Accelerated engineering of Phase-2 facilities to update the results of the Company’s integrated ore-to-anode-material feasibility study in view of the specific requirements from Panasonic Energy and GM, CAPEX optimization, and other project planning developments, in preparation for FID.

Preliminary work is ongoing at the Phase-2 Bécancour Battery Material Plant site in preparation for the launch of construction.

Progress on the development of zero-emission equipment for the Matawinie Mine by Caterpillar as a result of direct involvement from respective technical and mining teams informing an integrated solution tailored to NMG’s site.

Approval by the regulatory body of the powerline path set to connect the Matawinie Mine to the hydropower network.

NMG was awarded a $500,000 research grant to advance the development of versatile next-generation active anode materials.

Continued commercial engagement with tier-1 battery and EVs manufacturers for the balance (approximately 15%) of the Phase-2 Bécancour Battery Material Plant active anode material production.

Improving market conditions exemplified by 9.9% year-to-date increase in natural graphite prices (Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, June 2024), increasing demand for anode materials in the Western World, announced 25% US tariff on Chinese imports, and sustained growth (20%) in global EV sales (Rho Motion, July 2024).

Reappointment of the Directors and adoption of all resolutions submitted at the Company’s Annual General and Special Meeting of Shareholders.

Period-end cash position of $73.9 million.

[dan_s]

NMG is interesting to me because it takes a lot of graphite to make Graphene; a material that can make rechargeable batteries much better.

Graphene was discovered just 20 years ago.

Graphene batteries are a type of battery that utilize graphene as a component in the electrodes. They can improve the performance of traditional batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries, by increasing conductivity and allowing for faster charge and discharge cycles.
Graphene batteries are lightweight, flexible, and durable. Various battery technologies can be developed based on graphene, including lithium-metal solid-state batteries, supercapacitors, and graphene-enhanced lead-acid batteries.

There’s an Australian company developing a 100% lithium free, graphene-aluminum rechargeable battery that’s currently in advanced testing.

This battery boasts charge capacity and service life of 3-5 times greater than that of lithium-ion, which is itself remarkable given that energy density is lithium’s strong suit.

These Numbers Aren't A Typo... But They Are Enough To Start A Revolution
> But even more impressive is charge speed, which is said to be up to 70x faster than even today’s best performing lithium-ion batteries.
> At that speed, smart phones will need about one minute of charge per week to stay in operation.
> For electric cars, one minute at the charge station per month will supply the average American driver’s needs.

Sounds incredible, but this is precisely the level of enhancement that graphene offers to many of the products where it can be applied.

[dan_s]

Today I got an update from Evercore ISI Research that rates NMG "Outperform" with a price target of $7.00

NMG closed today at $1.41