Nouveau Monde Commissions State-of-the-Art Laboratory to Further its Proprietary Battery Technology Research and Development; Hires New Senior Scientists

» Nouveau Monde commissions its advanced R&D facility at its premises in Saint-Michel-des-Saints

» The new laboratory will provide Nouveau Monde with the in-house capacity for testing advanced anode material and providing customized specifications to battery and EV manufacturers

» Nouveau Monde has recruited two additional leading scientists, expanding its R&D and technical team to 25 professionals – including six PhDs and 18 engineers

» Nouveau Monde formed a Scientific Advisory Committee to advance and expand its research portfolio and capabilities

» Nouveau Monde’s proprietary technologies and R&D program is a critical competitive advantage, as it furthers the qualification process of its anode material with the world’s leading end-users for lithium-ion batteries

Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. (“Nouveau Monde” or the “Company”) (NYSE: NMG, TSXV: NOU) is completing the commissioning of its state-of-the-art laboratory at its demonstration plant, an addition to the Company’s existing quality testing facilities. This expansion is triggered by Nouveau Monde’s commitment to catering to the market’s requirements for high-performing and environmentally responsible battery materials that can be tailored to a variety of specifications for electric vehicles (“EV”) and energy storage usage.

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M.V. Reddy, PhD, Senior Professional Researcher, Martin Brassard, PhD, R&D Director, and Neel Rahem, Laboratory Manager, work in Nouveau Monde’s new lab facilities. (Photo: Business Wire)

As applications diversify, technology is a critical driver in battery material engineering and manufacturing. Nouveau Monde’s dedicated new lab facilities provide in-house capacity, flexibility, and speediness in testing advanced materials and specifications for potential customers. The new lab facilities comprise ultramodern equipment covering a range of technical measurements, namely particle size, tapped density, coin cell cycling with full coin cell preparation equipment, ICP trace element analysis, BET specific surface area as well as particle morphology, coating quality and impurity analysis by SEM-EDX, in support to the Company’s phase-1 anode material production.

The Company has also recruited two leading talents, Mr. Mogalahalli V. Venkatashamy Reddy, PhD (Dr. M.V. Reddy) and Mr. Neel Rahem, to complement its strong internal technical team consisting of six Doctorate (“PhD”) recipients, three Master of Science (“MSc”) holders, and 18 engineers with previous hands-on experience with leading graphite operators including Imerys, SGL Group and BTR New Material and specialists in the fields of lithium-ion batteries (“LiB”), carbon materials, bi-polar plates, electrochemistry, and engineered advanced materials.

Arne H Frandsen, Chairman of Nouveau Monde, commented: “Today’s investment in R&D is tomorrow’s competitive advantage in the marketplace. We continue our confidential and proprietary development efforts with a view to supporting the world’s leading lithium-ion battery makers and intend to continue investing in cutting-edge technology with the support of best-in-class scientists and engineers. Nouveau Monde’s mission is to engineer graphite-based advanced solutions to power a decarbonized future.”

Nouveau Monde is actively developing advanced materials to remain at the forefront of industry trends and offer some of the highest performing and most environmentally friendly lithium-ion battery anode material portfolio on the market. Among the technological breakthroughs to date, the Company’s R&D team has designed advanced graphite-based solutions where the interaction between graphite and silicon is optimized and submitted a patent application for its proprietary green thermochemical purification technology.

Eric Desaulniers, Founder, President, and CEO of Nouveau Monde, added: “EV and battery manufacturers are seeking advanced solutions that provide the ideal combination of quality, performance, cost, weight, carbon footprint, material interaction, and countless other factors. In-house R&D capability represents an advantage in catering to our potential customers’ requirements while continuing to advance our products portfolio for the growing battery supply chain industry. At the forefront of technology advancements, Nouveau Monde is positioning itself as more than a graphite producer; we are one of the Western World’s leading advanced battery material developers striving to deliver the greenest graphite-based solutions.”

Enhanced In-House R&D Expertise

Counting over 20 years of experience in battery technology and having contributed to more than 220 scientific articles on electrode and electrolyte materials for lithium-ion batteries, which have been cited numerous times in other publications, Mr. M.V. Reddy, PhD is joining the Company as Senior Professional Researcher to advance Nouveau Monde’s product portfolio.

Reddy obtained his PhD in materials science with the highest honors from the University of Bordeaux, France (2003) and an MSc in chemistry (electrochemistry) from Bangalore University, India (1995). For the past two decades, Reddy has studied LiB materials (anodes, cathodes, supercapacitors, and solid electrolytes), fuel cells, nanotechnology, recycling and battery materials recovery, powder metallurgy and materials for CO₂ sequestration, other various material characterization techniques, spectroscopy, and electroanalytical techniques, as well as additional research activities. He has worked as a Senior Researcher at Hydro-Québec’s research institute, the Centre of Excellence in Transportation Electrification and Energy Storage (“CETEES”), and at the National University of Singapore’s Department of Materials Science & Engineering, Advanced Batteries Lab and Department of Physics.

Reddy authored a landmark paper on electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries and their reaction mechanisms, received international honors, served as an editorial advisory board member for scientific publications, lectured at numerous international conferences and workshops, acted as an expert referee for various international academic battery proposals and collaborated across the energy storage industry.

To complement Nouveau Monde’s R&D team, Mr. Neel Rahem is also joining the Company as Laboratory Manager. A chemist specialized in metallurgy, process chemistry and quality programs, Rahem holds a M.Sc. in chemistry from UQAM (2010) and a Master M1 in chemistry-physics from Université de Haute-Alsace (2007). Prior to working at Nouveau Monde, Rahem looked after lab activities for Canadian Royalties, Minerai de Fer Québec, and Glencore.

In his new functions, Rahem will operationalize the Company’s new lab facilities and supervise the existing team of technicians in minerallurgy and analytical chemistry.

Eric Desaulniers, Founder, President, and CEO of Nouveau Monde, concluded: “We are delighted to welcome M.V. Reddy and Neel to the team as we advance our beneficiation operations. Their expertise will help further enhance our processes and product specs.”

Nouveau Monde has embedded innovation in its business approach through capital human investments, infrastructure and collaboration with world-class research institutes and universities to refine anode material production and develop new applications. Research partners include the Centre de transfert technologique en écologie industrielle, the Centre National en électrochimie et en Technologies Environnementales, the CETEES, the Centre technologique des résidus industriels, the National Research Council of Canada, the INRS-Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications, McGill University, Université de Sherbrooke, Université Laval, Hydrogen Research Institute, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, and Innofibre.

About Nouveau Monde

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 carbon-neutral battery anode material in Québec, Canada 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. www.NMG.com

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Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release including, but not limited to those describing the drivers of the battery industry and the Company’s performance and sustainability, the new lab facilities and their functions and uses, the research portfolio’s expansion through recent hires and the creation of a scientific advisory committee, the Company’s commitments, objectives and goals relating to its performance and its green initiatives, the industry trends, the development of graphite-based advanced solutions and other applications, the growth of the battery supply chain industry, , and those statements which are discussed under the “About Nouveau Monde” paragraph and elsewhere in the press release which essentially describe the Company’s outlook and objectives, constitute “forward-looking information” or “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of certain securities laws, and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the time of this press release. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the time of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Moreover, these forward-looking statements were based upon various underlying factors and assumptions, including the current technological trends, the business relationship between the Company and its stakeholders, the ability to operate in a safe and effective manner, the timely delivery and installation of the equipment supporting the production, the Company’s business prospects and opportunities and estimates of the operational performance of the equipment, and are not guarantees of future performance.

Forward-looking information and statements are subject to known or unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking information and statements. Risk factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, delays in the scheduled delivery times of the equipment, the ability of the Company to successfully implement its strategic initiatives and whether such strategic initiatives will yield the expected benefits, the availability of financing or financing on favourable terms for the Company, the dependence on commodity prices, the impact of inflation on costs, the risks of obtaining the necessary permits, the operating performance of the Company’s assets and businesses, competitive factors in the graphite mining and production industry, changes in laws and regulations affecting the Company’s businesses, political and social acceptability risk, environmental regulation risk, currency and exchange rate risk, technological developments, the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the governments’ responses thereto, and general economic conditions, as well as earnings, capital expenditure, cash flow and capital structure risks and general business risks. Unpredictable or unknown factors not discussed in this Cautionary Note could also have material adverse effects on forward-looking statements.

Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can directly or indirectly affect, and could cause, actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management’s expectations and plans relating to the future. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Further information regarding the Company is available in the SEDAR database (www.sedar.com), and for United States readers on EDGAR (www.sec.gov), and on the Company’s website at: www.NMG.com

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“Today’s investment in R&D is tomorrow’s competitive advantage in the marketplace. Nouveau Monde’s mission is to engineer graphite-based advanced solutions to power a decarbonized future.”