The Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy, Carlos Zacarias, argued that the country should use locally mined graphite to encourage the production of vehicle batteries, which have been in high demand on the international market.
“We want graphite processing to go to the final stage, with the aim of encouraging battery production in Mozambique, which will create more jobs and boost socio-economic development,” he said.
Speaking on Tuesday, 6 February, during a working visit to the graphite production plant of Twigg Exploration & Mining, Carlos Zacarias said that the company is prepared to operate within the standards required in the sector.
“We got a good impression. The company is organised according to the standards required at both national and international level,” he stressed.
The graphite produced at the plant is exported to China and there are already plans to expand to the United States.
Twigg Exploration & Mining is a subsidiary of the Australian group Syrah Resources, which explores graphite at the Balama mine in Cabo Delgado province, northern Mozambique. Figures released by the company’s managers show that it has invested 494 million dollars so far.
The Balama mine began commercial production more than five years ago and was highlighted in December 2021, when Syrah announced an agreement with the Tesla electric vehicle multinational.
