• Nouveau Monde emerged as the winner of the “Entrepreneur Of The Year” prize at the annual event organized by the Québec Mineral Exploration Association.
• The prize was awarded as recognition of the Company’s momentum in developing its integrated and sustainable “ore-to-battery” value chain.
• Projected to be the largest and most advanced natural graphite operation in North America, Nouveau Monde is actively implementing its business plan in a disciplined and de-risked approach to serve the growing markets of EVs and energy storage.
• This year, Nouveau Monde progressed on its development roadmap by securing the governmental authorization for the Matawinie mining project, launching construction for the commercial mine, building the Phase-1 facility for its proprietary purification technologies for anode material, listing on the NYSE, and raising additional capital to support the delivery of the next project milestones.

Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc.’s (NYSE: NMG) (TSX-V: NOU) continuous advancement in the past year culminated yesterday with the Entrepreneur of the Year Award presented by the Québec Mineral Exploration Association in recognition of the Company’s sustained corporate growth, from exploration to phase-1 production with a view to full-scale commercial operations of lithium-ion anode material destined to the electric vehicles (“EVs”) and energy storage markets.

Eric Desaulniers, Founder, President, and CEO of Nouveau Monde, welcomed the recognition:

“This award is a testament to our sound yet ambitious business strategy. The rebuilding efforts of different economies within post-pandemic dynamics exacerbate the call for local, dependable, and sustainable advanced materials for a decarbonized future. I am thrilled to see that our unwavering focus on delivering a turn-key supply of natural graphite-based anode material is celebrated as a role model for mining and beneficiation businesses. Special thanks go to our employees, communities, business partners, shareholders, and governments for their support along this journey.”

Nouveau Monde’s agile, disciplined, and de-risked approach to developing its fully vertically integrated business model has consolidated its leading position in what is projected to be the largest and most advanced natural graphite operation in North America. As battery manufacturers and carmakers continue to expand their production capacity for the EV sector, the Company is well-positioned to provide a localized and carbon-neutral alternative to Chinese anode material supply.

Figure 1 – Current and announced lithium-ion battery production in the Western World, totaling over 1,400 GWh by 2030 (Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, October 2021). 

Leveraging the assets of Québec, a tier-1 mining jurisdiction with exceptional infrastructure and clean hydropower, Nouveau Monde is actively advancing both its graphite extraction and beneficiation projects to scale up production.

Over the past twelve months, Nouveau Monde has secured the Québec governmental authorization for the Matawinie mining project following an extensive environmental review and stakeholder engagement process. Civil works for the commercial facilities were launched in the Q3-2021, while phase-1 operations at the demonstration concentrator continue to support the Company’s marketing and product qualification efforts.

Nouveau Monde also advanced its value-added phase-1 facilities to put into production its proprietary thermochemical ecotechnology for purification and commissioned a state-of-the-art laboratory to further its battery technology research and development. Committed to high ESG standards, the Company has also signed collaboration agreements to work on the full electrification of the Matawinie mining project and the recycling of graphite for reuse as anode battery material.

Drawing from learnings at its phase-1 operations and in R&D labs, Nouveau Monde has refined the engineering plans of its commercial facilities and perfected specifications of its advanced materials to provide high-performance, carbon-neutral and ethical supply to manufacturers of batteries, electric vehicles and energy storage systems.

About Nouveau Monde Graphite

Nouveau Monde is striving to become a key contributor to the sustainable energy revolution. The Company is working towards developing a fully integrated source of green battery anode material in Québec, Canada. The Company is developing advanced carbon-neutral graphite-based material solutions for the growing lithium-ion and fuel cell markets. With low-cost operations and enviable ESG standards, Nouveau Monde aspires to become a strategic supplier to the world’s leading battery and automobile manufacturers, providing high-performing and reliable advanced materials while promoting sustainability and supply chain traceability.