EcoGraf (ASX:EGR) completed a value engineering review of its Epanko Graphite Project in Tanzania, identifying scope to lift stage one production capacity by 20% to 87,600 tonnes per annum for an estimated additional $12 million in capital expenditure, according to an Australian bourse filing on Thursday after market hours.

The expansion is expected to cut C1 operating costs by 5.8% to around $512 per tonne over the first 10 years, per the filing.

The February-updated bankable feasibility study (BFS), based on an annual production capacity of 73,000 tonnes, remains the foundation for project development and debt financing, while the higher-capacity scenario will be advanced to the BFS stage following the final investment decision, with up to 2 million euros in technical assistance from the European Investment Bank, the filing said.

The company said the higher production rate could support the development of a single 25,000-tonne-per-annum HFfree battery anode material purification facility.