Alkeemia / IG6 Joint Venture advances toward a graphite processing hub at Porto Marghera
International Graphite Limited (ASX: IG6) and Alkeemia S.p.A have made strong progress on the Alkeemia / IG6 Processing Joint Venture (JV) at Porto Marghera, Italy. The JV aims to create the premier graphite processing hub in Europe, supplying high-quality finished graphite products for industrial and energy storage applications.
The JV aligns with the European Union’s Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), under which natural graphite is designated a strategic raw material. The EU has also selected Alkeemia’s PureGraph project as one of 46 critical minerals projects to contribute to the CRMA.
PureGraph is the graphite purification facility Alkeemia plans to expand from its current pilot plant to commercial scale. For investors, the policy alignment and EU project selection form part of the strategic backdrop to the JV.
JV progress is outlined as follows:
- Incorporation of the Italian JV company is nearing completion.
- Detailed permitting submissions are being prepared.
- Testwork is ongoing with European industrial customers.
- European equipment sources are being prioritised, with engineering and design work from the Collie Micronising Facility directly applicable to the JV.
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Why Porto Marghera offers a cost-competitive location
Site advantages
In processing operations, location matters because existing infrastructure reduces what a company must build itself. Access to ports, utilities and permitting support can lower upfront spending and shorten the path to operations.
According to the announcement, the Porto Marghera site and Alkeemia’s landholding within the precinct offer attributes that give the JV the potential to be one of the most cost-competitive graphite processing operations:
- Porto Marghera is a long-established national industrial and port precinct within the Venice Simplified Logistics Zone, which offers streamlined permitting and investment incentives.
- The site is within metres of container berths, with direct access by road, rail and sea to European and export markets.
- Limited new infrastructure is required, with laboratories, control rooms, waste disposal, water, mobile equipment and personnel all available on site.
- The site has significant expansion capability to match increasing market demand.
- As one of Europe’s largest hydrofluoric acid production facilities, Alkeemia has rigorous OH&S standards well beyond anything needed for the graphite facilities.
| Site attribute | Fact | Investor impact |
| Precinct status | Long-established national industrial and port precinct within the Venice Simplified Logistics Zone | Streamlined permitting and investment incentives |
| Logistics | Within metres of container berths, with direct road, rail and sea access | Described as the shortest logistics path for raw materials |
| Infrastructure | Laboratories, control rooms, waste disposal, water, mobile equipment and personnel available on site | Limited new infrastructure required |
| Expansion | Significant expansion capability | Capacity to match increasing market demand |
| Safety standards | Alkeemia is one of Europe’s largest hydrofluoric acid production facilities | Rigorous OH&S standards well beyond anything needed for the graphite facilities |
Lower infrastructure requirements and shorter logistics paths underpin the stated potential for the JV to be one of the most cost-competitive graphite processing operations. That remains a potential, not an achieved outcome.
Alkeemia purification plant: tonne-scale qualification shipments targeted
As announced on 16 December 2025, IG6 has committed to 50% of the capacity of Alkeemia’s 200 t/y graphite purification pilot plant at Porto Marghera. Installation of the plant and equipment is complete, with the remaining electrical works nearing completion.
Commissioning and initial operations are expected to commence by the end of Q4 2026.
IG6’s allocation is expected to support the transition from laboratory-scale samples to tonne-scale qualification shipments to potential customers. The announcement describes this as a key milestone towards customer qualification and future offtake agreement.
The purification plant, located adjacent to the JV facilities, will use hydrofluoric acid from Alkeemia’s plants to produce high purity product for the JV. The announcement does not state that any offtake agreement has been signed.
Pilot-scale testwork has already delivered battery-grade purity results of 99.91% to 99.98% TGC across seven concentrate samples, including Springdale material.
Funding approach and government support
JV funding model
IG6 will adopt a similar project delivery and construction financing model for the JV to the one applied to the Collie Micronising Facility in Western Australia. According to the announcement, that means seeking non-dilutive and debt funding and minimising new equity contributions.
At Collie, that approach has already produced a non-dilutive NAB loan of $1.5 million, with interest capitalised during construction.
Management is advancing a number of strategic funding initiatives consistent with this model, including engagement with Italian Government agencies. No funding amounts were disclosed.
IMARC 2026 and Italy-Western Australia collaboration
Representatives of IG6 and Alkeemia will attend the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) at the International Convention Centre Sydney from 27 to 29 October 2026, together with an Italian Government delegation.
In August 2026, the Western Australian Government and Italy’s export credit agency, Servizi Assicurativi del Commercio Estero S.p.A. (SACE), signed a joint communique. It recognised the potential for increased collaboration in areas related to critical minerals and energy transition, with the goal of enhancing dialogue, investment and business ties across supply chains and projects. Further government collaboration is expected.
JV objective (International Graphite Limited)
The Alkeemia / IG6 JV aims to create the premier graphite processing hub in Europe, supplying high-quality finished graphite products for industrial and energy storage applications.
Next catalysts flagged in the announcement include completion of incorporation, permitting submissions, commissioning and initial operations expected by the end of Q4 2026, and funding initiatives. IG6 also owns the Springdale Graphite Project in Western Australia, which the company describes as providing long-term feedstock optionality for future scaling of process operations.
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