Marubeni Corporation ("Marubeni") has signed an exclusive OFF take agreement with Australian company Syrah Resources Limited ("Syrah") for the exclusive sale of spherical natural graphite, the raw material of natural graphite, from Mozambique to Japan and Korea.

Spherical natural graphite is the main raw material used in lithium ion batteries. In recent years, due to the growing demand in energy storage resulting from an increase in eco-friendly cars and large mobile equipment, the lithium ion battery and related raw materials market has rapidly expanded and the need for a new natural graphite supply source has emerged.

With this agreement, Marubeni has acquired exclusive marketing rights of up to 50,000 tons per year of spherical natural graphite which is expected from 2018. We will form a system to stably supply highly competitive spherical natural graphite sourced from a graphite-rich ore and contribute to the development of the lithium-ion battery industry that the Japanese government is emphasizing as a pillar of next-generation industry.

In the lithium ion battery field, Marubeni is conducting sales of storage batteries and various materials for lithium-ion batteries. This time, by entering into the business field of spherical natural graphite, which is an important raw material, Marubeni will establish a value chain in the lithium-ion battery industry and build a system that can respond to a variety of market needs.

【Summary of Syrah Resources Limited】

Company Name	:	Syrah Resources Limited
Headquarters	:	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Established	:	September, 2007
Business detail	:	Natural graphite ore mining, processing, sale