Frontier Lithium Provides Critical Minerals Infrastructure Funding Update including the Road Connecting the PAK Lithium Project
Frontier Lithium Provides Critical Minerals
Infrastructure Funding Update including the
Road Connecting the PAK Lithium Project
GREATER SUDBURY, ON
,
Feb. 4, 2026
/CNW/ - Frontier Lithium Inc. (TSX.V: FL) (FRA: HL2)
(OTC: LITOF) ("
Frontier
" or the "
Company
") is pleased to provide a progress update on the
infrastructure projects supported by Natural Resources Canada's (NRCan) Critical Minerals
Infrastructure Fund ("
CMIF
") for the Company's flagship PAK Lithium Project (the "
PAK Project
" or
the "
PAK Lithium Project
") in northwestern
Ontario
.
In
March 2025
, Frontier finalized contribution agreements under CMIF, securing up to
approximately $6.1 million in non-repayable contribution funding to advance the following two
projects (collectively, the "
Projects
"):
All-Season Road Engineering and Design Project (Junction Road)
:
Pre-construction engineering,
design, permitting, and environmental studies for approximately 56 kilometres (Figure A) of an
all-season two-lane road required to connect the PAK Project to
Ontario's
provincial highway
network.
PAK Clean Energy Project
:
Engineering, design, and permitting for a substation and
transmission line to integrate the PAK Project into the Wataynikaneyap power grid, ensuring
long-term, sustainable electricity supply.
Frontier continues to advance engineering, environmental, permitting, and Indigenous engagement
activities to support shovel-ready status for these Projects and Frontier intents to apply to stream 2
under the CMIF program to be reimbursed for 50% of the eligible costs for these Project.
Projects Progress in 2025
In 2024 and 2025 over
$3
million has been invested in advancing critical infrastructure under the
CMIF program. The Company anticipates allocating up to an additional $8.9 million by 2028 as
activities expand, including consultation, permitting and engineering for both these Projects and
Frontier will apply under the CMIF program to be reimbursed for 50% of the eligible costs for these
Project.
Over the course of 2026, the All-Season Road Engineering and Design Project plans to complete
consultation and the remaining 20% of the engineering plans, designate the preferred route, and
finish the permitting process under
Ontario's
One Project One Process framework (1P1P). This
work is anticipated to cost
$2.6 million
and will aim to enable construction of the all-season Junction
Road to begin as early as 2027.
The capital required for the PAK Clean Energy Project in 2026 is estimated to be
$2.9 million
which
will complete assessments for the required technical upgrades to the existing infrastructure, the
environmental assessments and permitting requirements for on-lease infrastructure and any
remaining geotechnical drilling that is required for site infrastructure impacted by the electricity
connection. These works are being completed along side the Province of
Ontario's
October
announcement
(available here)
of the twinning of the power lines to
Red Lake, Ontario
, in order to
support new mining projects, such as the PAK Project, located north of
Red Lake
.
Strategic Importance
These Projects are integral to both
Ontario
and the Canadian Critical Minerals Strategy (CCMS),
addressing infrastructure gaps essential for bringing critical mineral deposits like the PAK deposit
into production. Frontier's PAK Project is recognized as one of
Ontario's
largest and highest-grade
lithium resources, forming the foundation for a fully integrated mine-to-chemicals operation to supply
lithium chemicals for electric vehicle and energy storage markets across
North America
.
"
Road and power investments are generational infrastructure, not just for the PAK Lithium Project,
but also for others within the region, including local and Indigenous communities. As we advance
permitting and pre-construction, we are ensuring benefits flow regionally while
Canada
strengthens
a secure, domestic critical minerals supply chain."
said
Trevor Walker
, President & Chief Executive
Officer of Frontier.
"
Building the infrastructure needed to unlock
Canada's
critical minerals potential is essential to
getting Canadian minerals to markets, which will diversify our trade, strengthen our economic and
national security and sovereignty, create good domestic jobs, and support the clean energy
transition. Through the Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund, our new government is investing in
roads and clean power that not only help move projects like Frontier's PAK Lithium Project toward
production, but create significant benefits for the communities around these projects.
Canada
has
what the world wants, and we are building big things again, to make sure we can deliver for
Canadians and allies abroad,"
said the Honourable Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural
Resources.
Junction Road alternatives for the PAK Lithium Project are highlighted in red. (CNW Group/Frontier
Lithium Inc.)
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Trevor Walker
President & Chief Executive Officer
About Frontier Lithium
Frontier Lithium Inc. is a pre-production mining company with an objective to become a strategic and
integrated supplier of premium spodumene concentrates as well as battery-grade lithium salts to the
growing electric vehicle, and energy storage markets in
North America
. The Company's PAK Lithium
Project maintains the largest land position and resource in a premium lithium mineral district located
in
Ontario's
Great Lakes region.
About the PAK Lithium Project
The PAK Lithium Project is a fully integrated critical minerals initiative in
Ontario
, developing a high-
grade, large scale lithium resource. Operated as a joint venture between Frontier (92.5%) and
Mitsubishi Corporation (7.5%), the project is advancing in parallel with a mine and mill, north of
Red
Lake, Ontario
and a downstream lithium conversion facility in
Thunder Bay, Ontario
, which are both
key to supporting a secure domestic lithium supply for the clean energy transition. A 2025 Mine and
Mill Feasibility Study (FS), prepared by DRA Global Limited and entitled National Instrument 43-101
Technical Report FS PAK Lithium Project, Mine and Mill, outlines a 31-year Project life with an after-
tax net present value of
$932 million
at an 8% discount rate and an after-tax internal rate of return of
17.9%.These results have been disclosed in the Company's press release dated
May 28, 2025
, and
the accompanying technical report was filed on SEDAR+ (
www.sedarplus.ca
) on
July 9, 2025
.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements".
All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact constitute forward-looking
statements. Forward looking statements contained in this news release may include, but are not
limited to, estimated capital allocated by the Company to the Projects, the CMIF program, its
funding and eligible cost reimbursements, the PAK Lithium Project and its estimated economics, and
statements with respect to: capital requirements and private and/or public financing initiatives and
completion of these financings (if any), estimated mineral resources, estimated capital costs to
construct a mine and conversion facilities, estimated operating costs, estimated cash flows, net
present value, the feasibility study and references thereto, and statements that address future
production, resource and reserve potential, exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events or
developments that the Company expects, including but not limited to capital and operating costs,
timelines, internal rates of return, and project development milestones.
Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Risk factors that could cause
actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include: market prices for
commodities, increases in capital or operating costs, construction risks, availability of infrastructure
including roads, regulatory and permitting risks, exploitation and exploration successes, continued
availability of capital and financing, financing costs, and general economic, market or business
conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future
performance and those actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in
the forward-looking statements. For more information on the Company, please review the
Company's public filings available at
www.sedarplus.ca
.
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.
SOURCE
Frontier Lithium Inc.
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%SEDAR: 00008434E
For further information:
Company Contact Information: Bora Ugurgel, Senior Manager, Investor
Relations, 2614 Belisle Drive, Val Caron, Greater Sudbury, Ontario P3N 1B3 CANADA,T. +001
705.897.7622, F. +001 705.897.7618
CO: Frontier Lithium Inc.
CNW 17:30e 04-FEB-26