Blencowe Acquires 100 Acres in Pader for Battery-Grade Graphite Plant

By Our Reporter

in Pader

Blencowe Resources PLC has acquired 100 acres of land in Pader District for the construction of a Spherical Purified Graphite (SPG) plant to establish a battery-grade graphite for the global electric vehicle market.

The land, located in Angagura Sub-county, was purchased from community members for sh263.5m, according to Consolidated Africa Resources Limited, the Ugandan subsidiary developing the Orom-Cross Graphite Project. The acquisition paves the way for the establishment of the country’s first SPG processing facility, which will convert graphite concentrate into battery-grade material used in lithium-ion batteries.

Dan Michael Komakech, the Communications and Public Relations Officer of Consolidated Africa Resources Limited, said survey work on the land has already begun before the title is secured.

“After acquiring the land, we have now started the survey process before obtaining a title for the property. We shall then undertake an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment before construction of the SPG plant begins,” Komakech said.

He said the processing facility requires a dedicated high-voltage power supply because graphite purification involves high-temperature operations. The company selected Angagura because of its proximity to hydropower infrastructure capable of meeting the plant’s energy demands.

The SPG plant will complement the graphite beneficiation plant currently planned for Orom in Kitgum District, where ore from the Orom-Cross Graphite Project will first be processed into graphite concentrate.

Komakech said construction of the beneficiation plant is expected to commence during the last quarter of 2026, with the first commercial graphite production targeted for the first half of 2027. The SPG plant will be developed after, or possibly alongside, the beneficiation facility depending on project timelines.

According to Komakech, the Orom-Cross Graphite Project has completed key regulatory and technical requirements, including exploration, drilling campaigns, hydrological studies, environmental assessments and mine design. The project received a 21-year mining licence in 2019, valid until 2040.

Geological studies estimate the deposit contains between 2 billion and 3 billion tonnes of high-quality graphite, making it one of the largest known graphite resources in the region. The company says laboratory testing of bulk samples confirmed the graphite meets international buyer specifications.

Komakech said the company also expects the project’s valuation to rise following deeper drilling that indicated the graphite deposit extends beyond previously explored depths while maintaining high purity levels.

The Orom-Cross Graphite Project is expected to position Uganda among emerging African producers of battery minerals as demand for graphite continues to grow alongside the global transition to electric vehicles and renewable energy technologies.