Zenyatta Ventures said it has proven the viability of its graphite during performance testing with Ballard Power Systems.
Zenyatta owns and is developing the Albany graphite deposit located near the communities of Constance Lake First Nation and Hearst. Ballard Power Systems is a Vancouver-based company that makes fuel cell power systems for a number of industries.
According to a release, the Phase 4 testing showed the natural graphite performed well, compared to a synthetic alternative, in a commercial product platform.
Synthetic graphite is used in the development of fuel cells, lithium-ion batteries and industrial components. However, synthetic graphite is expensive to produce and has significant negative environmental impacts.
Zenyatta has been undertaking performance testing on its product since early 2015, and according to the company, results have been promising.
Following the Ballard test results, Zenyatta said the two parties plan to scale up the fuel cell components and conduct additional test related to automotive applications.
