Graphite Companies Join Forces for Spherical Graphite Development

(Toronto,   Ontario   –   March   29,   2016)   Elcora   Advanced   Materials   Corp   (TSXV:ERA)   ("Elcora"),   Northern Graphite   Corporation   (TSXV:NGC)   (“Northern”),   Nouveau   Monde   Mining   Enterprises   Inc.   (TSXV:   NOU) (“Nouveau  Monde”),    Metals  of  Africa  Limited  (ASX:MTA)  (“MTA”),  Coulometrics  LLC  (“Coulometrics”)  and a   private   industry   partner   are   pleased   to   announce   that   they   are   jointly   acquiring   a   micronizing   and spheronizing  mill  to  produce  spherical  graphite  (“SPG”),  a  critical  step  in  the  production  of  anode  material used  in  lithium  ion  batteries  (“LIBs”).

The  mill  will  be  added  to  Coulometrics’  battery  production  and  test  facility.    Considerable  work  has  already been  completed  by  Coulometrics  to  produce  SPG  and  to  evaluate  many  different  suppliers  of  spheronizing equipment.    Northern  Graphite  has  financially  supported  most  of  this  work  and  has  agreed  to  share  its current   knowledge   on   spheronizing   with   the   other   participating   companies.       All   of   the   participating companies  will  share  in  any  spheronizing  technologies  that  are  developed  going  forward.  The  spheronizing equipment  will  be  used  to  evaluate  and  optimize  the  yield  of  SPG  from  various  graphite  mine  concentrates and  to  develop  next  generation  and  high-­‐yield  spheronization  technology  to  meet  the  demanding  cost targets  for  automotive  LIB  applications.    Ultimately,  the  goal  of  all  the  parties  is  to  achieve  full  qualification of  their  materials  by  LIB  manufacturing  companies.

The  development  and  testing  process  will  be  lead  by  Dr.  Edward  Buiel  who  commented:  "The  addition  of the  spheronizing  equipment  will  enable  us  to  produce  and  test  Coated  Spherical  Purified  Graphite  “C-­‐SPG” from  end  to  end  within  North  America.    This  will  rapidly  advance  our  C-­‐SPG  development  efforts  and  we believe  it  is  the  first  real  effort  by  junior  graphite  companies  to  address  the  needs  of  the  LIB  industry.    It also   demonstrates   the   commitment   of   those   involved   to   develop   next   generation,   high   performance anode   materials   for   LIBs   which   will   provide   a   significant   cost   advantage   and   a   greatly   reduced environmental  impact.    They  will  also  represent  a  major  improvement  over  methods  currently  employed in  China.”

Coulometrics  is  a  leading  provider  of  energy  storage  consulting  services  and  advanced  battery  component manufacturing  services.  Dr.  Edward  Buiel,  owner  of  Coulometrics,  has  a  Ph.  D.  in  Physics  and  20  years  of experience   developing   carbon-­‐based   materials   for   lithium   ion   batteries   and   supercapacitors. Coulometrics   has   a   unique   combination   of   expertise   that   includes   graphite   processing   for   lithium   ion batteries  and  full  cell  electrode  coating,  calendaring,  cell  assembly,  and  testing.

For  further  information  please  contact  Troy  Grant,  President  and  CEO  of  Elcora  (902)  802-­‐8847,  Gregory Bowes,  CEO  of  Northern  (613)  241-­‐9959,  Eric  Desaulniers,  President  and  CEO  of  Nouveau  Monde  (819) 923-­‐0333  or  Cherie  Leeden,  Managing  Director  of  MTA  +61  8  9322  7600.

Elcora   was   founded   in   2011   and   has   been   structured   to   become   a   vertically   integrated   graphite   & graphene   company   that   mines,   processes,   refines   graphite,   and   produces   both   the   graphene   and   end graphene  applications.    As  part  of  the  vertical  integration  strategy,  Elcora  has  secured  high-­‐grade  graphene precursor   graphite   from   its   interest   in   the   operation   of   the   Ragedara   mine   in   Sri   Lanka.   Elcora   has developed   a   unique   low   cost   effective   process   to   make   graphene   that   is   commercially   scalable.   This combination  means  that  Elcora  has  the  tools  and  resources  for  graphene  vertical  integration.      Ian  Flint, Ph.D.,  P.  Geo.,  is  the  Qualified  Person  as  defined  under  NI  43-­‐101  who  has  reviewed  and  is  responsible  for the  Elcora  technical  information  presented  in  this  news  release.

Northern’s   Bissett   Creek   graphite   deposit   is   an   advanced,   pre-­‐development   stage   project   that   has   a Feasibility   Study   and   its   major   environmental   permit.     Subject   to   the   completion   of   operational   and species   at   risk   permitting,   which   are   at   an   advanced   stage,   Northern   is   in   a   position   to   commence construction  in  2016  subject  to  the  availability  of  financing.    The  Bissett  Creek  project  is  located  close  to infrastructure   in   eastern   Canada,   has   the   highest   reported   percentage   of   large/XL/XXL   flake,   and   a reasonable  capital  cost.

Nouveau   Monde   owns   the   Matawinie   graphite   project   on   which   the   company   delineated,   in   February 2016,  a  graphite  resource  estimate  totaling  48.6  Mt  at  a  grade  of  3.97  %  Cg  in  the  Indicated  Category  and 34.7  Mt  at  a  grade  of  4.08  %  Cg  in  the  Inferred  Category.  The  project  is  located  in  the  Saint-­‐Michel-­‐des-­‐ Saints   area,   some   130   km   north   of   Montreal,   Quebec,   Canada   with   direct   access   to   all   needed infrastructure,  labor  and  green  and  affordable  hydroelectricity.    Nouveau  Monde  is  developing  its  project with   the   highest   corporate   social   responsibility   standards   and   the   lowest   environmental   footprint (targeting   a   net   zero   carbon   emission   operation).   A   43-­‐101   Preliminary   Economical   Assessment   will   be delivered  around  the  end  of  Q2  2016.

The  technical  content  of  this  press  release  was  reviewed  by  Eric  Desaulniers,  M.Sc.,  P.Geo.,  a  Qualified Person  under  NI  43-­‐101  guidelines,  except  for  information  with  respect  to  Elcora  and  MTA.

Metals  of  Africa  Ltd  (ASX:MTA)  has  successfully  delineated,  high  quality  and  grade  graphite  resources  in Mozambique,  East  Africa.  The  100%  owned  Montepuez  Resource  boasts  61.6Mt  @  10.3%  TGC  and  the nearby  Balama  Central  Resource  contains  16.3  Mt  at  10.4%  TGC  that  was  defined  in  less  than  one  month of   drilling   -­‐   both   resources   remain   open   in   all   directions.   The   company   has   uniquely   positioned   itself amongst   its   peers,   to   now   quickly   transition   into   development   with   an   extremely   low   cost   operating profile.   MTA   prides   itself   on   its   environmental   best   practice   policies,   zero   harm   and   ongoing   positive community  development  programs.

The  information  in  this  release  that  relates  to  MTA’s  Mineral  Resources  is  based  on  information  compiled by  Mr.  Robert  Dennis  who  is  a  Member  of  Australian  Institute  of  Geoscientists  and  a  full  time  employee  of RPM  Limited.  Mr.  Dennis  has  sufficient  experience  which  is  relevant  to  the  style  of  mineralization  and  type of   deposit   under   consideration   and   to   the   activity   which   he   is   undertaking   to   qualify   as   a   Competent Person   as   defined   in   the   2012   Edition   of   the   Australasian   Code   for   Reporting   of   Exploration   Results, Mineral  Resources  and  Ore  Reserves.

This  press  release  contains  forward-­‐looking  statements,  which  can  be  identified  by  the  use  of  statements  that  include   words  such  as  "could",  "potential",  "believe",  "expect",  "anticipate",  "intend",  "plan",  "likely",  "will"  or  other  similar   words   or   phrases.   These   statements   are   only   current   predictions   and   are   subject   to   known   and   unknown   risks,   uncertainties  and  other  factors  that  may  cause  our  or  our  industry's  actual  results,  levels  of  activity,  performance  or   achievements  to  be  materially  different  from  those  anticipated  by  the  forward-­‐looking  statements.  The  Companies   do  not  intend,  and  do  not  assume  any  obligation,  to  update  forward-­‐looking  statements,  whether  as  a  result  of  new   information,  future  events  or  otherwise,  unless  otherwise  required  by  applicable  securities  laws.  Readers  should  not   place  undue  reliance  on  forward-­‐looking  statements.  

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.