Nouveau Monde to Build Demonstration Plant to Produce Multiple Graphite Products FOR Industrial and Battery Markets Symbol: NOU (TSX Venture), OTCQB: Nmgrf, Frankfurt: NM9
NOUVEAU MONDE TO BUILD DEMONSTRATION PLANT TO PRODUCE MULTIPLE
GRAPHITE PRODUCTS FOR INDUSTRIAL AND BATTERY MARKETS
Symbol: NOU (TSX Venture), OTCQB: NMGRF, Frankfurt: NM9
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 19, 2017
MONTREAL, QUEBEC –Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. (TSX-V: NOU) (“Nouveau Monde”)
is pleased to announce that it is presently planning to build a demonstration plant (the
“Plant”) in the community of Saint -Michel-des-Saints, Qc. The Plant will have a capacity
to produce 1 ,000 tonnes of natural graphite concentrate per year using mine
representative minerali zation from Nouveau Monde’s West Zone deposit, part of its
Matawinie graphite Property. The Plant is expected to be operational in the first half of
2018 providing related permits and financing are received in a timely manner. The goals
of this operation are the following:
1- Produce graphite concentrate aimed at the traditional industrial market as
well as value-added products including purified spheronized graphite used in
the expanding lithium ion battery market;
2- Validate and optimize the technological choices used during ore processing
in advance of the commercial scale construction planned in 2020;
3- Qualify and homologate our natural graphite products for potential North
American, European and Asian customers with the goal of securing an
offtake agreement for the commercial operation.
Furthermore, Nouveau Monde has recently established its product ma rketing strategy
based on a detailed study produced by a group of in-house experts who hold extensive
experience in natural graphite marketing and mining in North America, Brazil and China.
One notable contributor to this market study , Armando Farhate, brings over 25 years of
professional experience, including six years in the graphite industry , in positions such as
Managing Director, COO and Vice President of Sales . Mr. Farhate was employed by
numerous national and multinational companies including Imerys Graphite & Carbon
and Nacional de Grafite. Nouveau Monde experts listed a total of over 100 potential
customers from around the globe . This thorough study was based on the West Zone
deposit flake size distribution and the concentrate purity detailed in the Press Release
dated April 12, 2017 , as well as in the Preliminary Economic Assessment published in
June 2016 (see Press Release dated June 22, 2016). The potential customers will be
contacted in the upcoming months to provide product parameters and needs in term of
natural graphite material and purified spheronized graphite.
Eric Desaulniers, President and CEO of Nouveau Monde commented, “Nouveau Monde
has the advantage of having excellent graphite concentrate flake size distribution and
high purity grades after a simple flotation process . Different flake sizes are best suited
for different applications. So flake size distribution is very important as it lets you access
the largest customer base, thereby increas ing your chances of effective market
penetration and reducing dependence on the growth of any one industry.”
Mr. Desaulniers continued, “ Our deposit is located in the same geological province and
only 120km away from the depleting Imerys Lac-Des-Iles (Qc) mine which has serviced
customers in North America for years. This demonstration Plant will enable us to reach
out to customers and offer them a reliable, long term and cost effective North American
alternative right in the window when they will be looki ng for a new supplier for both
industrial and lithium ion battery applications.”
About Nouveau Monde
In 2015, Nouveau Monde discovered a graphite deposit on its Tony claim block, part of
its wholly owned Matawinie graphite Property. This discovery resulted in the publishing
of a Preliminary Economic Assessment, completed according to NI 43 -101 guidelines, in
June of 2016. This study demonstrated strong economics with a planned production of
50,000 tpy of high purit y flake graphite over a period of 25.7 years which is expected to
provide a solid operational margin and relatively low capital expenditures ( see press
release dated June 22, 2016 ). The Mineral Resource Estimate has since been updated,
the current resource stands at 32.9 Mt grading 4.5 0% graphitic carbon (or “Cg”) for the
Indicated Category and 0.2 Mt grading 4.84 % Cg in the Inferred Category (see Press
Release dated March 2, 2017). The project is located in the Saint-Michel-des-Saints area,
some 120 km n orth of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It has direct access to all needed
infrastructure, labour as well as green and affordable hydroelectricity. Nouveau Monde
is developing its project with the highest corporate social responsibility standards while
targeting a low environmental footprint (targeting a net zero carbon emission
operation).
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For further information, please contact:
Eric Desaulniers, M.Sc., P.Geo.
President and Chief Executive Officer of Nouveau Monde
(819) 923-0333
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.
Except for historical information contained herein, this news release contains forward -
looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ
materially from those anticipated by such statements. Nouveau Monde will not update
these forward -looking statements to reflect events or circumsta nces after the date
hereof. More detailed information about potential factors that could affect financial
results is included in the documents filed from time to time with the Canadian securities
regulatory authorities by Nouveau Monde.