Australian graphite producer Volt Resources' US subsidiary, Volt Energy Materials, has received approval to join the Defense Industrial Base Consortium (DIBC) platform to advance its Alabama graphite refinery project.

The DIBC is a US Department of Defense (DoD)-funded platform managed by Advanced Technology International under an other transaction agreement (OTA).

The platform aims to foster innovation and rapid research by connecting a diverse network of industry, academia and non-profits, strengthening the defence industrial base.

The approval enables Volt to engage directly with DoD programmes through streamlined OTA contracts, supporting materials and technologies crucial to national security.

Volt's membership in the DIBC positions it to pursue US Government-backed research and development, demonstration and procurement opportunities, particularly in battery materials, clean energy and defence supply chains.

Additionally, Volt Energy Materials is a member of the Military Power Sources Consortium, which gathers and disseminates expert insights on relevant issues.

Volt is progressing with plans to establish a high and ultra-high-purity graphite processing facility in Alabama. The estimated capital for phase one of the project stands at $21m.

Recent project milestones include a positive scoping study indicating a pre-tax net present value of $136m and the identification of a suitable industrial site in Tuscaloosa County's Airport Industrial Park.

Additionally, the company has relocated its head office to The EDGE at the Alabama Entrepreneurship Institute in Tuscaloosa.

Volt's operations are in strategic harmony with US initiatives to ensure the availability of domestic and allied sources of essential materials, given the country's classification of graphite as a critical mineral, according to the company.