June 25 (Reuters) – Canadian miner Titan Mining said on Thursday its subsidiary Empire State Mines received conditional U.S. Army selection notices for enhanced-use leases at two U.S. sites to develop graphite processing capacity.
The U.S. has been trying to end its 100% import reliance on graphite by building domestic supply of “e-graphite” — the battery-grade anode material used in EVs and military hardware — and challenge China’s grip on global processing.
• Under the proposed leases of up to 50 years, the subsidiary would finance, design, build, operate and eventually decommission the facilities, while the U.S. Army would retain ownership of the land.
• The sites include a 245-acre parcel at Pine Bluff Arsenal in Arkansas, expected to serve as the primary location, and a 97-acre parcel at Anniston Army Depot in Alabama, which would advance on a sequenced schedule.
• Construction is targeted to begin in the second half of 2027.
• Titan, which operates zinc concentrate assets in upstate New York and is developing a domestic natural flake graphite supply chain, said it would continue to pursue additional Army sites.
(Reporting by Dharna Bafna in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)
