MARKET WIRE NEWS

NMG Completes Acquisition of Brownfield Site in Bécancour to Deploy its Active Anode Material Production for Panasonic Energy

MWN-AI** Summary

Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. (NMG) has successfully acquired a 143,000-square-meter brownfield site in Bécancour, Québec, to launch its active anode material production facility, primarily catering to Panasonic Energy’s substantial offtake requirement of 13,000 tons per annum (tpa). This strategic purchase includes an existing 22,000-square-meter industrial structure that conveniently lies adjacent to NMG's greenfield site, reinforcing its foothold in a vital Canadian battery hub.

The two-stage development strategy will streamline costs, mitigate risks, and allow for a flexible sales approach, aligning production with commercial partnerships. Eric Desaulniers, NMG’s CEO, emphasized the importance of delivering a cost-effective and efficient operation to support Panasonic’s growing battery manufacturing capabilities in Nevada and Kansas.

This site acquisition places NMG in a robust position within Bécancour’s multimodal industrial park, benefiting from direct access to critical infrastructure, including highways and railways. The facility will serve as a key component in refining graphite concentrate sourced from NMG’s Phase-2 Matawinie Mine into active anode materials tailored to Panasonic's specifications, thus fostering a comprehensive, carbon-neutral supply chain.

NMG plans to retrofit the existing infrastructure to accelerate production timelines, with expectations to align the commissioning of the facility with the output from the Matawinie Mine. With a projected final investment decision for this project anticipated by late 2026, NMG aims to establish itself as a significant player in the North American battery materials market while upholding high standards of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices.

This acquisition marks a pivotal moment for NMG in its mission to create a sustainable supply chain while contributing to the energy transition and ensuring long-term value for stakeholders within the industry.

MWN-AI** Analysis

Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. (NMG) recently made a strategic acquisition of a brownfield site in Bécancour, Québec, which positions the company to significantly enhance its production capacity of active anode materials for Panasonic Energy. This decision is pivotal, as it allows NMG to catalyze the development of its first-stage refining operations much sooner, facilitating the company’s ability to meet Panasonic Energy's docking of 13,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of active anode materials.

Investors should consider several key implications of this acquisition:

1. **Strategic Location**: The Bécancour site’s proximity to NMG’s existing greenfield operations and essential logistics infrastructure—highways, railroads, and ports—significantly reduces transportation and operational costs. This efficient integration strengthens NMG's position within the Canadian battery material sector.

2. **Two-stage Development Strategy**: NMG’s phased approach to expanding operations not only minimizes risks but optimizes capital expenditures, allowing for adjustments based on market demand and contractual obligations. This flexibility is vital in the rapidly evolving battery materials market.

3. **Long-term Partnerships**: With a firm commitment from Panasonic Energy, NMG is aligning its business model to meet the growing demand for sustainable battery materials. This partnership bolsters NMG’s market credibility and may attract additional collaborative opportunities.

4. **Robust ESG Considerations**: NMG’s emphasis on environmentally sustainable practices is likely to resonate well in a market increasingly driven by ESG compliance. This could enhance investor sentiment and open doors to sustainable financing opportunities.

In conclusion, the acquisition presents a promising outlook for NMG as it embarks on an accelerated path toward production, catering to a critical player in the battery manufacturing sector. Investors should view this development as a bullish signal for potential long-term gains amidst the rising global demand for electric vehicle batteries and associated materials.

**MWN-AI Summary and Analysis is based on asking OpenAI to summarize and analyze this news release.

Source: Business Wire
  • Brownfield site enabling NMG to accelerate the construction and commissioning of a first stage Bécancour Battery Material Plant to fulfill Panasonic Energy’s 13,000-tpa active anode material offtake
  • Strategic acquisition of 143,000-m 2 site with large industrial building directly adjacent to NMG’s greenfield site, at the heart of Bécancour’s multimodal industrial park
  • Two-stage approach to building refining operations enables NMG to optimize costs, reduce risks, shorten time-to-market and revise sales mix in line with commercial deals

In preparation for its commercial Phase 2, Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. (“NMG” or the “Company”) ( NYSE: NMG , TSX: NOU ) has acquired the brownfield site and industrial facilities adjacent to its greenfield site in Bécancour, Québec. The purchase enables the Company to deploy the first stage of its refining operations to fulfill Panasonic Energy’s 13,000-tpa active anode material offtake and reinforces NMG’s presence in Bécancour, at the heart of the Canadian battery hub and two hours from the Matawinie Mine .

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260225476582/en/

Aerial view of NMG’s greenfield site and adjacent brownfield acquisition in Bécancour, Québec, for the development of a battery material plant dedicated to Panasonic Energy’s volumes.

Eric Desaulniers, Founder, President, and CEO of NMG, stated: “For NMG, delivering an optimized and competitive solution to our partner Panasonic Energy with the utmost efficiency is a strategic priority. By accelerating our development pathway and maintaining the highest standards of performance, cost discipline, and ESG excellence, we are helping anchor a resilient and sustainable integrated battery value chain in North America. This collaboration reinforces our shared ambition to build a local, carbon-neutral, and future?proof supply chain that will strengthen industrial sovereignty, support the energy transition, and ensure long?term value for our partners, our communities, and the North American market.”

The 143,000-m 2 brownfield site includes a 22,000-m 2 facility, large storing and logistics area, and connections to key industrial infrastructure. It is contiguous to NMG’s 200,000-m 2 greenfield site, providing an ideal setting for a two-stage development plan for the Company’s Phase-2 Bécancour Battery Material Plants. Bécancour offers direct access to highways, railway and port for easy logistics, robust industrial infrastructure, nearby labour pool, along with potential synergies within the industrial park with battery material and chemical producers.

NMG will leverage this brownfield facility to build a first production capacity of active anode material dedicated to Panasonic Energy. Offering a full integration from ore to battery materials, graphite concentrate from the Company’s Phase-2 Matawinie Mine will be refined at this Bécancour Battery Material Plant into 13,000 tonnes per annum (“tpa”) of active anode material as per Panasonic Energy’s technical and quality specifications. The production will support battery manufacturing at Panasonic Energy’s Nevada and Kansas facilities in line with Panasonic Energy’s global capacity expansion.

Leveraging the technology and engineering work carried out thus far, NMG will work to retrofit its plan to the building and develop a class-3 estimate for this brownfield development in H1-2026. The industrial building and associated infrastructure should enable the Company to lower infrastructure costs, optimize CAPEX per tonne for this first stage development, and streamline permitting, engineering and construction timelines to align the commissioning period with that of the Matawinie Mine. The Company will work with its strategic shareholders and targeted financial partners toward a Bécancour final investment decision (“FID”) in H2-2026.

About Nouveau Monde Graphite

Nouveau Monde Graphite is an integrated company developing responsible mining and advanced processing operations to supply the global economy with carbon-neutral advanced graphite materials. The Company is developing in Québec, Canada, a fully integrated ore-to-processed-graphite value chain to serve tomorrow’s industries in energy, advanced technology, and manufacturing. With recognized ESG standards and structuring partnerships with major customers, NMG is set to become a strategic supplier of advanced materials to leading specialized manufacturers while promoting sustainability, innovation, and supply chain traceability. www.NMG.com

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Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively, “forward-looking statements”), including, but not limited to, statements relating to future events or future financial or operating performance of the Company and reflect management’s expectations and assumptions regarding the Company’s growth, results, performance and business prospects and opportunities. Such forward-looking statements reflect management’s current beliefs and are based on information currently available to it. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the Company’s ability to secure its project financing and to secure a positive combined or sequenced FID for the Phase-2 Matawinie Mine, the development a fully integrated ore-to-battery-material source of graphite-based active anode material in the Province of Québec, the completion of the Phase-2 Matawinie Mine and Bécancour Battery Material Plant for the Panasonic Energy offtake, the capacity of the brownfield site and industrial facilities adjacent to the greenfield site in Bécancour, Québec to enable its refining operations and to fulfill Panasonic Energy’s active anode material offtake, and the expected results of the initiatives described in this press release, 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.

Forward-looking statements are 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 are not guarantees of future performance and may prove to be incorrect. Moreover, these forward-looking statements are based upon various underlying factors and assumptions, including the business relationship between the Company and its stakeholders, the ability to obtain sufficient financing for the development of the Matawinie Mine and the Bécancour Battery Material Plant, the Company’s ability to satisfy the due diligence processes of the stakeholders, and are not guarantees of future performance.

Forward-looking 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 statements. Risk factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, availability financing or financing on favorable terms for the Company, delays in finalizing the definitive agreements, delays in reaching FID, and general economic conditions, as well as earnings, capital expenditure, cash flow and capital structure risks and general business risks. A further description of risks and uncertainties can be found in NMG’s Annual Information Form dated March 31, 2025, including in the section thereof captioned “Risk Factors”, which is available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. 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.

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

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260225476582/en/

MEDIA
Julie Paquet
VP Communications & ESG Strategy
+1-450-757-8905 #140
jpaquet@nmg.com

INVESTORS
Marc Jasmin
Director, Investor Relations
+1-450-757-8905 #993
mjasmin@nmg.com

FAQ**

How does Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. (NMG) plan to finance the development and operational costs of the Bécancour Battery Material Plant to meet Panasonic Energy’s active anode material offtake requirements?

Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. (NMG) aims to finance the Bécancour Battery Material Plant through a combination of strategic partnerships, government support, equity financing, and possibly debt, aligning with Panasonic Energy’s anode material offtake commitments.

What specific strategies will NMG employ to mitigate risks associated with the two-stage approach to refining operations at the Bécancour site?

NMG will implement robust risk management protocols, including phased investments, contingency planning, comprehensive stakeholder engagement, and continuous monitoring of operational performance to mitigate risks associated with the two-stage refining approach at the Bécancour site.

How does NMG intend to leverage local synergies within Bécancour’s multimodal industrial park to enhance its supply chain efficiency and reduce costs?

NMG plans to leverage local synergies within Bécancour’s multimodal industrial park by collaborating with nearby manufacturers and suppliers to streamline logistics, reduce transportation costs, and optimize resource sharing, ultimately enhancing its supply chain efficiency.

What are the anticipated timelines for achieving the final investment decision (FID) for both the Matawinie Mine and the Bécancour Battery Material Plant, as stated by Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. (NMG)?

Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. (NMG) anticipates achieving the final investment decision for the Matawinie Mine by the end of 2023 and for the Bécancour Battery Material Plant by mid-2024.

**MWN-AI FAQ is based on asking OpenAI questions about Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. (TSXVC: NOU:CC).

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