US company Graphite One has announced it has seured a new site in Ohio to produce 10,000-ton batteries domestically. Located in Conneaut, the company plan to produce what are called Active Anode Materials (AAM) at the new facility.

This area, the company reports, the site has direct access to Lake Erie and the Great Lakes shipping corridor, multi-line CN rail connectivity and an existing on-site substation.

Construction is expected to be completed by late 2027, with a second expansion phase targeting 25,000 tons of graphitization capacity by 2028. This is interesting in and of itself, but the project also highlights a much larger strategic shift underway in the United States.

At present, the US remains entirely dependent on imported natural graphite. While lithium often dominates headlines, graphite is actually one of the largest components inside a lithium-ion battery by weight.

China currently dominates both graphite mining and, crucially, graphite processing. This has become an increasing concern for policymakers and manufacturers attempting to reduce supply chain vulnerabilities tied to EV production and energy infrastructure.

More than just a graphite mine

Graphite One is, in part, trying to tackle this issue by linking domestic mining, transportation, processing, and battery material manufacturing into a single supply chain.

The company’s Graphite Creek deposit in Alaska, identified by the US Geological Survey as the country’s largest graphite deposit, would supply raw material to the Ohio facility via the Port of Nome and Great Lakes shipping routes.

The Ohio facility, the company explains, not just process raw graphite orem, it will also manufacture AAMs on site. This is a far more advanced and valuable product that requires graphite to be purified, shaped, coated, and graphitized before it can be used inside batteries.

The facility’s planned output reflects how specialized the battery industry has become. Graphite One says production will be split between materials optimized for energy storage systems, fast-charging applications, and high-energy-density batteries.

Each category is designed around different performance characteristics, balancing factors such as charging speed, energy density, lifespan, and thermal stability.

The graphitization stage is particularly important because it is one of the most technically demanding and energy-intensive parts of the supply chain. It also remains heavily concentrated in China. Expanding domestic graphitization capacity therefore represents a significant industrial milestone in itself.

Testing with automakers already underway

Perhaps the most notable detail in the announcement is that Graphite One has already delivered commercial-grade anode material samples to three major EV manufacturers and three battery companies. These samples, reportedly up to 44 pounds (20 kilograms) in size, are now undergoing specification testing.

That matters because battery qualification is notoriously slow and demanding. Automakers and cell manufacturers require extensive testing before approving new suppliers, particularly for materials directly affecting battery performance and safety.

The fact that Graphite One is already engaged in binding offtake discussions suggests the company may be moving beyond the speculative stage and into genuine commercial negotiations, although no final agreements have yet been signed.

Taken together, the project reflects a broader push by the US to build domestic capability across the battery supply chain.

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