Rain Carbon Canada Inc. (RAIN), wholly owned subsidiary of Rain Industries, and Green Graphite Technologies Inc. (GGT) have partnered under the Sustainable Manufacturing Challenge grant from Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen) to advance the development of sustainable graphite anode active materials (GAAMs) for lithium-ion batteries (LiBs). In a collaborative effort to meet rising demand for critical battery materials, the parties will leverage innovative recycling, purification and manufacturing processes to establish a sustainable supply chain for graphite, supporting the industry transformation to electromobility and stationary battery energy storage required for the renewable electricity generation.
With Canada's zero-emission vehicle fleet projected by Natural Resources Canada to grow from 480,000 units in 2024 to 21 million by 2040, the demand for sustainably sourced battery materials is intensifying. Through this initiative, Rain Carbon and GGT aim to contribute to the development of a circular economy for battery materials, reducing dependence on newly mined resources and mitigating environmental impact.
Under the terms of the grant, Rain Carbon will lead the conversion of feedstock materials through its LIONCOAT® carbon precursor materials and application process technology, which enhances the performance characteristics of the graphite for LiB applications. GGT will contribute its proprietary GraphPure™ and GraphRenew™ purification technologies, ensuring the resulting GAAMs meet the purity standards required for battery manufacturing.
The RAIN Technology Innovation Center at Rain Carbon's Hamilton, Ontario location will serve as the primary base for pilot-scale production and testing. The facility is equipped with a demonstration plant for material conversion, an advanced analytical lab for evaluating powder materials, and an application lab for assessing battery cell performance. GGT will utilize its pilot facilities in Kingston, Ontario, and Montreal, Quebec, to support the purification activities and will also utilize its planned larger-scale demo facility in Mississauga Ontario to produce larger quantities in 2026.
The partnership's goals align with NGen's mission to drive economic growth through sustainable, circular, and innovative manufacturing processes in Canada. By 2030, the project could result in two new graphite product lines, developed through manufacturing processes designed to reduce process waste, increase production efficiency and reduce carbon footprint. The initiative is also anticipated to generate new intellectual property and technical expertise. The project aims to build a sustainable Canadian battery supply chain and to create new direct and indirect employment opportunities across the battery materials sector.