The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has increased its investment in Sarytogan Graphite Limited, an Australian Securities Exchange-listed company developing one of the world’s largest known high-grade graphite deposits in Kazakhstan. Through a follow-on equity investment of AUD 1.4 million, the EBRD has raised its ownership stake in the company to 18.4 per cent, maintaining its role as a significant minority shareholder.
The additional funding will support the completion of a definitive feasibility study for the graphite project and finance further development activities, including environmental assessments and product marketing initiatives. These steps are aimed at advancing the project toward future production and strengthening Kazakhstan’s role in the global critical raw materials sector.
Graphite is considered a critical raw material due to its growing importance in industries such as electric vehicle battery manufacturing, electric power systems and metallurgy. Demand for graphite continues to rise globally as countries accelerate the transition toward clean energy technologies and sustainable industrial production.
The investment reflects the EBRD’s ongoing commitment to supporting the exploration, development and processing of critical minerals in Kazakhstan. To date, the bank has invested nearly US$12.6 billion across 352 projects in the country, making Kazakhstan the largest and longest-running recipient of EBRD investment in Central Asia.
