SAN FRANCISCO, CA --(Marketwired - September 09, 2015) - Tesla's moves toward manufacturing auto and home storage have set off a buzz of misunderstandings and opportunities in the graphite space as some 40 TSX and ASX junior miners position themselves to meet anticipated increased future demand for this critical mineral.
In this interview with The Gold Report , Flinders Resources Ltd. (
The Gold Report: What is the state of the current global graphite market and what impact might Tesla's construction of a battery Gigafactory in the desert in Nevada have on future demand for the mineral?
Blair Way: Because graphite is used in many energy-related applications (including electric vehicles, Pebble Bed Nuclear Reactors, fuel cells, solar panels and electronics ranging from smartphones to laptops), it has been categorized as a critical, strategic mineral by several governments including the United States and Europe.
What does this really mean? At this point in time it means nothing -- graphite is in oversupply and prices are low. However, if China decided to stop supplying graphite to the world, then the West would be in trouble. This is highly unlikely to ever happen. As far as the impact of the Tesla plant on the greater market, that's yet to be defined in detail, but it will create more demand for graphite, both natural and synthetic.
TGR: How big is the graphite market?
BW: The graphite market combined -- the natural flake and synthetic market -- is worth approximately $13 billion ($13B). Synthetic is 90% of that market, and natural flake graphite is 10%.
TGR: How big is the natural flake graphite market?
BW: The worldwide natural flake graphite market hovers around 1.1 million tons a year (1.1 Mtpa) of which 75% is from China…
Continue reading this interview: Flinders CEO Blair Way: What Tesla Needs to Know about the Graphite Sector
About Flinders Resources
Flinders is a TSX Venture Exchange listed resource company that owns 100% of the Woxna Graphite Mine, a unique and strategic European graphite project in central Sweden. The Woxna Graphite Project is now in operation and supplying a high-quality coarse graphite flake product to Europe, one of the world's dominant graphite markets.
About Streetwise Reports / The Gold Report
Investors rely on The Gold Report to share investment ideas for the precious, base and critical metals sector. Our exclusive interviews with leading industry experts and analysts provide a clear picture of the causes of macro-economic shifts and the strategies that help you capitalize on developing trends.
DISCLOSURE:
Flinders Resources is a banner advertiser on Streetwise Reports. Blair Way had final approval of the content of the interview and is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. Opinions expressed are the opinions of Mr. Way and not of The Gold Report or its officers.
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