Australia’s Syrah, Tesla extend deadline to resolve alleged default in graphite supply deal

(Reuters) – Australian graphite miner Syrah Resources said on Monday it agreed with Tesla to extend for a fourth time a ​deadline to resolve an alleged default under their ‌graphite supply agreement to June 1.

Tesla had previously issued a notice alleging that Syrah failed to meet an obligation to provide ​conforming natural graphite active anode material (AAM) samples from ​its Vidalia facility in Louisiana, according to the ⁠company.

The notice required Syrah to cure the alleged default ​by March 16, failing which Tesla could terminate the offtake ​agreement covering supply from Syrah’s 11.25 kilotons-per-annum AAM facility in Vidalia.

The companies have agreed to amend the deal to extend that ​deadline to June 1, subject to approval from the ​U.S. Department of Energy.

The 2021 contract with Tesla, worth 8,000 tons annually ‌for ⁠four years, underpins Syrah’s Vidalia facility and its broader strategy to become a major U.S. supplier of non-Chinese graphite.

Texas-headquartered Tesla issued the first default notice in July ​2025, saying Syrah ​had failed ⁠to deliver conforming active anode material samples from its Vidalia processing facility for use ​in electric‑vehicle batteries.

Syrah said on Monday it does ​not ⁠accept that it is in default but that both parties had agreed to extend the cure date to June ⁠1 ​while they work together to address ​the issue.

Shares of Syrah were up 2.9% at A$0.175 as of 2302 ​GMT.

Reporting by Roshan Thomas in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonali Paul