Estimates from this research, based on prices from global graphite market experts, point to fiscal gains, from production tax alone, of more than 96.72 million US dollars in the first 10 years, out of around 25, from the exploration of 5 million tons of graphite reserves in the district of Nipepe, Niassa province. Despite this potential, a series of problems may together reduce the project’s full potential to improve the precarious situation in which the Nipepe district finds itself immersed. These include: a.) the lack of transparency in local labour opportunities; b.) local content; and c.) the neglect of environmental issues.
The current global movement towards promoting the development of technologies and use of renewable energy places graphite as a critical material for the decarbonization of transport and heavy industry. This will result in a high growth of its market in the coming years. Global demand for graphite is expected to grow from 1.5 million tons per year in 2020 to 4.3 million tons per year in 2030, due to the increased use of batteries as the main source of energy to replace traditional sources.
