Analysts are predicting a supply shortage of graphite amid the electric vehicle (EV) boom.
One ASX graphite share that surged today was Black Rock Mining Ltd (ASX: BKT). The company's share price soared 16% to 33 cents late in the session before closing at 31.5 cents, 10.53% higher.
Other ASX graphite shares include Syrah Resources Ltd (ASX: SYR) and Evolution Energy Minerals (ASX: EV1). The Syrah share price climbed 1.39% today while Evolution Energy closed up 6.1%, after shooting almost 16% higher at one stage.
So could ASX graphite shares be next in line for a boom like lithium shares?
Could graphite surge like lithium?
Analysts at Credit Suisse are predicting graphite prices to surge within the next five years, just like lithium. Graphite is another essential component of EV batteries.
In comments reported by The Age, analyst Phineas Glover said:
It looks a lot more like lithium three to five years ago.
In five years' time, suddenly graphite pricing will have gone up in my view quite significantly, and it will bring a huge incentive to bring all these projects on board.
Glover predicts supply will fall 32% short by 2025 with demand for graphite to increase fivefold in 2050.
Certainly, Black Rock's chief executive John de Vries also foresees a positive future for graphite. He told The Age:
I genuinely think the world got lithium, and the next thing that's going to come will be the conversation around 'we forgot about graphite'.
Black Rock is currently exploring the Mahenge graphite project in Tanzania in east Africa.
Share price recap
The Black Rock Mining share price has rocketed 121% in a year. Meanwhile, the Evolution Energy Minerals share price has surged 122% over the past year, while Syrah Resources has charged 74% higher.
In contrast, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) has returned about 8% in a year.
