en.Wedoany.com Reported - News, June 9, 2026 – South Star Battery Metals Corp. (TSXV: STS, OTCQB: STSBF), a Canadian battery metals project developer, announced on June 9, 2026, that it has completed preparations for the first shipment of graphite concentrate from its Santa Cruz Graphite Project in Itabela, Bahia, Brazil. This milestone marks the mine's official entry into the ramp-up phase after commissioning, making it the first new natural flake graphite mine to begin operations in the Americas this century.
The Santa Cruz Graphite Project is located in southern Bahia, Brazil, within the world's second-largest graphite-producing region, which boasts over 80 years of continuous mining history. South Star is a Canadian battery metals project developer focused on the selective acquisition and development of near-term production projects in the Americas. The company completed the commissioning of its processing plant in the first week of May 2026, and has since gradually transitioned from a single-shift, 9-hour production schedule to 24-hour continuous operations.
Operational data shows significant growth in ore processing: the mine processed 1,337.5 tonnes of run-of-mine ore in April 2026, increasing to 3,798.5 tonnes in May; cumulatively, since restarting operations, it has processed approximately 5,136 tonnes of ore and produced about 25 tonnes of graphite concentrate. In terms of product quality, the processing plant achieved a graphite concentrate grade of up to 97% carbon content in its first month of operation. The company's operational goal is to consistently produce qualified marketable products, with plans to ramp up annual production to 5,000 tonnes of graphite concentrate within three years.
Tiago Cunha, Interim CEO of South Star, stated that the team led by Chief Operating Officer Rogerio Barcellos has achieved excellent operational results over the past two months, and the processing plant is undergoing continuous monitoring and adjustments to meet the annual production target of 5,000 tonnes of graphite concentrate. The company plans to complete financing and construction for Phase 2 (25,000 tonnes per year) in 2026, with Phase 3 (50,000 tonnes per year) targeted for 2028.
This first shipment of graphite concentrate marks the transition of the Santa Cruz Project from the commissioning phase to full commercial operations, adding a new source of natural graphite supply to the global battery anode material supply chain.
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