Titan Mining Corporation, a company that produces zinc in upstate New York, has started making natural graphite at its Kilbourne demonstration facility. This marks the first time in over 70 years that natural graphite is being manufactured in the U.S. Titan is now working on producing graphite that can be tested as well as approved by customers and the government.
Titan is also in talks with the U.S. Export-Import Bank about a potential loan for up to $120 million to help fund the Kilbourne project. They expect an update soon and are also working with other government agencies for additional funding.
This production comes at a time when the U.S. government has issued a new Executive Order to cater to the country’s dependence on imports of critical minerals, including natural graphite. The order highlights the need for domestic production, especially as most processing happens overseas.
Titan’s facility, located at their Empire State Mine in New York, focuses on making 1,200 tonnes of graphite per year. This is just the first step toward their goal of producing 40,000 tonnes annually, which would help meet a large part of the U.S.'s demand for natural graphite.
The company’s plan is to increase production over time, meeting the needs of industries such as defense, energy, and manufacturing. Titan believes that producing graphite in the U.S. will play a key role in strengthening the country’s industrial resilience as policies to support domestic mining and processing are put in place.
Executive Statement
According to Rita Adiani, President and Chief Executive Officer of Titan Mining, with Kilbourne now producing, Titan is aligned with the federal government’s clear policy direction: rebuilding secure, end-to-end U.S. supply chains for critical minerals. The combination of first domestic production and decisive trade and industrial policy action materially de-risks the path to commercial scale.