Carbonscape, the New Zealand-based battery materials company, has been granted its “composition of matter” patent for graphite.
It is currently being validated in 40 European countries.
The patent covers the firm’s manufacturing of graphite from forestry side-streams as a local alternative to imported anode materials.
It is being billed as an alternative to the energy intensive synthetic graphite anode developed by China, which is said to control 95% of the world’s battery-grade graphite.
The firm plans to use woodchips and sawdust generated by Europe’s forests to be manufactured as graphite anode material within the European Union (EU) borders.
The company stated that the plans would align with EU regulation, which it said prioritises local and low-carbon graphite production.
This new patent also is claimed to align with sustainable battery materials having shorter and greener supply chains with shorter shipping distances and less scope-3 emissions.
It follows from the US patent that was awarded in March 2025 alongside feedstock agreements, which the firm said is paving the way for commercial plants in both North America and Europe.
The company has also finalised engineering for a demonstration plant scheduled to start operating in 2026.
Vincent Ledoux-Pedailles, chief commercial officer, Carbonscape, said: “Europe’s electrification ambitions depend on securing a cost-competitive, local and ESG-aligned graphite supply chain. This patent enables us to deploy our technology across the European Union, leveraging low-cost, renewable domestic forestry feedstocks and accelerating the continent’s journey toward battery mineral sovereignty.”
Image: CarbonScape secures patent for domestic graphite production in the EU. Credit: CarbonScape.
