Westwater Pitches US Graphite Future Amid Supply Chain Race

CENTENNIAL, CO – January 08, 2026 – As the global race to secure critical minerals for the green energy transition intensifies, Westwater Resources, Inc. (NYSE American: WWR) is preparing to make its case directly to the financial community. The company announced it will attend the DealFlow Discovery Conference in Atlantic City later this month, a move that underscores a pivotal moment in its quest to establish a domestic supply chain for battery-grade natural graphite.

Executive Chairman Terence Cryan is slated to present the company’s vision and engage in one-on-one meetings with investors from January 28-29. The conference, a significant gathering for high-growth companies and their potential backers, provides a crucial platform for Westwater as it navigates the capital-intensive journey of bringing its ambitious Alabama-based graphite projects to full-scale production. The timing is critical, as the company works to solidify its financial footing and strategic partnerships in an increasingly competitive and geopolitically charged market.

The High-Stakes Pitch for Domestic Graphite

Westwater’s presentation at the DealFlow conference is more than a standard corporate update; it's a strategic appeal for investment in American energy independence. The company is developing what it hopes will become a cornerstone of the U.S. electric vehicle (EV) supply chain, aiming to reduce the nation's heavy reliance on foreign sources, particularly China, for a mineral essential to lithium-ion battery anodes. Each EV battery requires between 50 and 100 kilograms of graphite, making a secure supply non-negotiable for Western automakers.

The company's path has faced hurdles. A significant setback occurred in late 2025 when a binding offtake agreement with automotive giant Stellantis was unexpectedly terminated. This development paused debt syndication efforts for its primary processing facility and sent ripples through its investor base. However, Westwater has since emphasized its ongoing engagement with government agencies like the U.S. Export-Import Bank (EXIM) and has successfully raised $55 million in capital since mid-2025. This funding provides near-term liquidity to advance its projects while it seeks new offtake partners and long-term financing.

Against this backdrop, the DealFlow conference represents an opportunity to reshape the narrative. With a stock that has seen significant volatility—trading between $0.45 and $3.75 over the past year—and a current market capitalization hovering around $100 million, the company will be pitching its long-term value proposition. Analysts maintain a median price target of $2.06, suggesting potential upside, but realizing that potential hinges on securing the capital needed to complete its large-scale projects.

Building America's Graphite Backbone in Alabama

At the heart of Westwater’s pitch are two integrated assets in east-central Alabama. The first is the Kellyton Graphite Processing Plant, which is currently under construction. This facility is designed to be the first of its kind in the U.S., taking natural flake graphite and refining it into the coated spherical purified graphite (CSPG) required by battery manufacturers. As of mid-2025, Westwater had invested approximately $124 million of the projected $245 million total cost for Phase I. Recent milestones include connecting the plant to the Alabama power grid and advancing the installation of critical electrical systems.

Crucially, a pilot-scale qualification line at the Kellyton site has already produced over a metric ton of CSPG. These samples are undergoing pre-production trials and testing with potential customers, a vital step in validating the product and securing future sales agreements. The company's proprietary graphite purification process, which received a U.S. patent in September 2025, is a key technological advantage it will highlight to investors.

The second pillar of its strategy is the Coosa Graphite Deposit. Located near the Kellyton plant, this deposit is described as the largest and most advanced natural flake graphite resource in the contiguous United States, sprawling across nearly 42,000 acres. An initial assessment of just 10% of the property estimated a pre-tax Net Present Value (NPV) of $229 million. Westwater is actively advancing the permitting process for a mine at the site, which would provide a secure, long-term feedstock for the Kellyton plant and create a fully domestic, vertically integrated supply chain—a powerful selling point in the current geopolitical climate.

Navigating a Market Dominated by China

The strategic importance of Westwater's projects is magnified by the global market dynamics. The graphite market is projected to grow from $21 billion in 2026 to over $35 billion by 2035, fueled almost entirely by the battery sector. However, this market is overwhelmingly dominated by China, which controlled an estimated 77% of global production in 2023. This concentration poses a significant supply chain risk for North American and European industries.

In response, the U.S. government has enacted policies like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which provides powerful incentives for sourcing EV battery components and critical minerals from North America or allied nations. This policy directly supports the business case for companies like Westwater. While global graphite prices saw declines in 2024 due to dynamics within China, analysts expect prices in the U.S. and Europe to rise as manufacturers shift their supply chains to comply with IRA requirements and de-risk their operations.

Westwater is not alone in this race. Competitors like Canada's Nouveau Monde Graphite have already attracted major investments from General Motors and Panasonic, highlighting a trend of automakers and battery producers investing directly in miners to secure future supply. This competitive pressure adds urgency to Westwater's efforts at the DealFlow conference to attract the right partners and investors who see the long-term strategic value in building a non-Chinese graphite supply chain from the ground up.