ECGA (European Advanced Carbon and Graphite Materials Association)

A timely reminder that graphite is not only a technical material, but a strategic one for Europe’s battery future. The visit to the VARTA Consumer Batteries plant in Dischingen highlighted the industrial scale at which graphite is already used in everyday battery production. At the same time, current EU policy is moving clearly in the direction of stronger circularity, greater recycling and lower dependency on imported critical raw materials through the Battery Regulation and the Critical Raw Materials Act. This is exactly why projects such as LIFE GRAPhiREC project are so relevant: they help turn these policy objectives into practical industrial solutions. Thank you again to VARTA Consumer Batteries for hosting this very insightful visit. #GRAPhiREC #LIFEproject #GraphiteRecycling #BatteryRecycling #CircularEconomy #CriticalRawMaterials #BatteryValueChain #SustainableIndustry #EUProjects

Recognition is the difference between keeping enabling capability in Europe, or watching it erode while Europe tries to scale clean steel. ⚡ No electrodes → No EAF → No clean steel → No climate targets. When energy, trade and resilience tools reflect enabling inputs, Europe can scale circular steel with confidence, with fewer avoidable dependencies and stronger industrial capability. 📊 In 2024, Member States used €3.2 billion from EU ETS revenues for indirect-cost compensation for energy-intensive industries, enabling inputs should not be left out where eligibility criteria are met. For more information, please read the ECGA White Paper Graphite Electrodes – A Pillar of Industrial Decarbonisation and the Circular Economy: https://lnkd.in/ddmH_bZn #GraphiteElectrodesPowerCircularSteel #GraphiteElectrodes #MadeInEurope #IndustrialResilience

Once capability leaves, it is slow and costly to rebuild. Electrode production depends on specialised inputs, skills and industrial infrastructure. When capability relocates, Europe risks losing more than output: supplier ecosystems, permitting experience, grid access and skilled teams. This is why “protect European industrial capacities” is not rhetoric; once lost, capability is hard to recreate. ⚡ No electrodes → No EAF → No clean steel → No climate targets. 📊 In 2024, third-country imports represented 19.8% of EU flat-products market supply – losing upstream capability makes Europe more exposed, not more competitive. For more information, please read the ECGA White Paper Graphite Electrodes – A Pillar of Industrial Decarbonisation and the Circular Economy: https://lnkd.in/ddmH_bZn #GraphiteElectrodesPowerCircularSteel #GraphiteElectrodes #MadeInEurope #ManufacturingCapacity

Electrodes are engineered with steelmakers, not just supplied to them. ⚡ No electrodes → No EAF → No clean steel → No climate targets. As electric arc furnaces expand, performance depends on close cooperation: tailored grades, rapid technical support and continuous improvement. Outsource electrodes, and Europe outsources the engineering loop that keeps EAF performance improving. Keeping this capability in Europe keeps innovation close to the furnaces that rely on it. 📊 The EU produced 129.6 million tonnes of crude steel in 2024; performance at this scale depends on engineering support that is close, fast and accountable. For more information, please read the ECGA White Paper Graphite Electrodes – A Pillar of Industrial Decarbonisation and the Circular Economy: https://lnkd.in/ddmH_bZn #GraphiteElectrodesPowerCircularSteel #GraphiteElectrodes #MadeInEurope #IndustrialInnovation

📢 We are pleased to be a media partner of the EIT RawMaterials Summit 2026. 📅 19–21 May 2026 📍 The EGG, Brussels Under the theme “Accelerating Europe’s Competitiveness”, the summit will bring together policymakers, industry leaders, investors, researchers and innovators from across the raw and advanced materials value chain. For ECGA, these discussions are highly relevant to Europe’s carbon and graphite sector. From processing and recycling to innovation, investment and industrial resilience, the evolving policy and market framework for raw materials will also shape the future of Europe’s graphite value chains. A particular highlight of this year’s edition will be the Innovation Village & Investors Day, designed to connect promising start-ups with investors, partners and industrial decision-makers. Read more in our website article: https://lnkd.in/dkKbTPju 🔗Register now: https://eitrmsummit.com/ #ECGA #EITRawMaterialsSummit #RawMaterialsSummit2026 #Graphite #AdvancedMaterials #Innovation #Recycling #EuropeanCompetitiveness

Supporting electrodes supports steel communities. Behind every electric arc furnace stands a network of European suppliers. When upstream capability disappears, steel communities lose resilience, and rebuilding industrial ecosystems is slow and expensive. Keeping electrode production in Europe strengthens regional economies and the industrial ecosystems linked to circular steel. ⚡ No electrodes → No EAF → No clean steel → No climate targets. 📊 Europe’s steel industry spans 500 production sites across 22 EU Member States – resilience is local, not abstract. For more information, please read the ECGA White Paper Graphite Electrodes – A Pillar of Industrial Decarbonisation and the Circular Economy https://lnkd.in/ddmH_bZn #GraphiteElectrodesPowerCircularSteel #GraphiteElectrodes #MadeInEurope #IndustrialEcosystems

We are pleased to welcome two new associate members to ECGA: GreenRoc Strategic Materials Plc and SPYS Ukraine. Approved during the recent ECGA General Assembly, both companies bring valuable expertise to ECGA’s growing network and further strengthen the wider graphite value chain. GreenRoc is advancing the Amitsoq Graphite Project and a broader graphite-to-anode-materials vision for Europe, while SPYS Ukraine adds an important upstream perspective through its graphite-related activities in Ukraine. At a time when Europe needs stronger, more resilient and more diversified graphite supply chains, their addition is a very welcome step. We look forward to working together to support innovation, industrial resilience and the strategic role of graphite in Europe. Read more on our website: https://lnkd.in/dPTzVwJm #ECGA #Graphite #CriticalRawMaterials #BatteryMaterials #SupplyChainResilience #EuropeanIndustry

Keep the skills behind circular steel in Europe. ⚡ No electrodes → No EAF → No clean steel → No climate targets. Graphite electrode plants support high-value industrial jobs, specialised skills and production know-how built over the years. They also anchor the economic and social power built over decades in Europe’s industrial regions. If these plants weaken, regions lose more than production: they lose capability, confidence and industrial opportunity built over decades. Once capability is lost, it is difficult and expensive to rebuild. 📊 Europe’s steel ecosystem employs almost 300,000 people directly and supports up to 1.55 million indirect jobs; enabling industries help protect that skills base. For more information, please read the ECGA White Paper Graphite Electrodes – A Pillar of Industrial Decarbonisation and the Circular Economy https://lnkd.in/ddmH_bZn #GraphiteElectrodesPowerCircularSteel #GraphiteElectrodes #MadeInEurope #IndustrialSkills

Permitting may not always make headlines—but it is one of the decisive factors for Europe’s industrial future.   Across the EU, complex and fragmented procedures continue to slow down projects, create uncertainty for investors, and ultimately delay both industrial development and decarbonisation efforts.   The proposed Industrial Accelerator Act is a step in the right direction. Clear timelines and single access points can bring much-needed predictability and efficiency. But to truly make an impact, these improvements must apply not only to new projects—but also to Europe’s existing industries as they modernise and transition.   At ECGA, we believe that a more coherent and streamlined permitting framework is essential to unlock investment at scale.   That’s why we are actively engaged in the Informal Permitting Coalition, working with partners to advocate for practical, effective solutions to today’s permitting challenges. More information about IPC and its priorities can be found here: Joint Statement of the Informal Coalition on Permitting (ICP) - IOGP Europe https://lnkd.in/erxi3_dD   Because without faster, more reliable permitting, Europe risks falling behind in its own industrial transformation.   #Permitting #EUIndustry #GreenTransition #Competitiveness #Decarbonisation

Local production supports local value. Why does local graphite electrode production matter for Europe’s steel regions? In this video, César Castiñeira, President and CEO, RESONAC - Graphite Business Unit, explains why keeping graphite electrode production in Europe matters not only for steelmaking, but also for the jobs, skills and industrial resilience that support Europe’s steel regions.   Electric arc furnaces allow Europe to recycle steel at industrial scale. But behind every furnace stands a graphite electrode industry providing skilled jobs, technical expertise and local industrial value. When electrode production stays in Europe, it helps protect those jobs, strengthens regional economies and supports a more stable and resilient steel ecosystem.   Clean and circular steel also needs strong industrial roots in Europe. ⚡ No electrodes → No EAF → No clean steel → No climate targets.   For more information, please read the ECGA White Paper Graphite Electrodes – A Pillar of Industrial Decarbonisation and the Circular Economy https://lnkd.in/ddmH_bZn #GraphiteElectrodesPowerCircularSteel #GraphiteElectrodes #MadeInEurope #IndustrialSkills