Matawinie Graphite Mine PROJECT

Quality, Quantity & Access

Nouveau Monde owns a 100% INTEREST in the Matawinie graphite property located in Saint-Michel-des-Saints, 150 km north of Montréal, Québec.

The Matawinie Graphite Mine Project demonstrates exceptional potential due to its significant HIGH-PURITY MINERAL RESERVE and low-cost operational model. Skilled workforce, high-quality infrastructure, including paved roads and hydroelectricity, as well as the dynamic regional business ecosystem provide a robust milieu for the development of the property.

construction has started!
Sky view of a winter landscape aboard an airplane
2013-2019 Exploration Work Overview on a map

Economic Highlights

In October 2018, Nouveau Monde released results of a National Instrument 43-101 feasibility study covering the West Zone deposit of the 7,543.86 hectares (ha) Tony Claim Block, part of the Company’s 11,360 ha Matawinie graphite property. The report titled, NI 43-101 Technical Feasibility Study Report for the Matawinie Graphite Project, with an effective date of July 10, 2018, demonstrated a pre-tax net present value (NPV) of CAD$1,287 Million and internal rate of return (IRR) of 40.6 % and after-tax NPV of CAD$751 Million and IRR of 32.2%, for the all-electric open pit Matawinie Graphite Mine Project.

0t
Yearly Graphite
Concentrate Production
 
$0
($US985M)
Pre-Tax NPV @ 8%
 
$0
($US575M)
Post-Tax NPV @ 8%
 
0%
Pre-Tax IRR
 
 
0%
Post-Tax IRR
 
 
0 years
Life of Mine (“LOM”)

0 years
Pre-Tax Payback
 
 
0 years
Post-Tax Payback
 
 
$0
($US211M)
Initial CAPEX
(Incl. 12.4% contingency)
0$US/t
Average Sales Price
(first 5 years)
 
0$US/t
Average Sales Price (LOM)
 
 
0$/t
($US382)/t
OPEX
 
NI 43-101: Feasibility study

Mineral Resource Estimate

Nouveau Monde updated its pit-constrained Mineral Resource Estimate (the “Current Resource”) leading to a 25.6% INCREASE in the combined Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource categories with a minimal change to the pit footprint and mineralization that remains open.

Pit-Constrained Mineral Resource Estimate for the West Zone (1)

Current Resource (March 19, 2020)8
Resource Category2 Tonnage
(Mt)5,7		 Grade
(% Cg)3		 Cg
(Mt)
Measured 24.5 4.27 1.05
Indicated 95.8 4.26 4.08
Measured & Indicated9 120.3 4.26 5.13
Inferred4  4.5 4.43 0.20
Previous Resource (June 27, 2018)8
Tonnage
(Mt)5,7		 Grade
(% Cg)3		 Cg
(Mt)
0 0 0
95.8 4.28 4.10
95.8 4.28 4.10
14.0 4.19 0.59

  1. The mineral resources provided in this table were estimated using current Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves, Definitions and Guidelines.
  2. Mineral resources are not to be considered mineral reserves as their economic viability has not been demonstrated. Additional drilling and/or trenching will be required to convert Inferred and Indicated Mineral Resources to Indicated and Measured Mineral Resources.
  3. All analyses used for the Resource Estimates were performed by ALS Minerals Laboratories and delivered as graphitic carbon (“% Cg”), internal analytical code C-IR18.
  4. Inferred Mineral Resources represent material that is considered too speculative to be included in economic evaluations. Additional drilling and/or trenching will be required to convert Inferred Mineral Resources to Indicated or Measured Mineral Resources.
  5. Current Resource effective as of March 19, 2020; detailed scientific and technical information can be found in the company’s March 19, 2020 announcement titled:  Nouveau Monde Announces Updated Resource Estimate and Increases Combined Measured & Indicated Resources by 25 % to 120.3 Mt @ 4.26 % Cg.
  6. Previous Resource published June 27, 2018; detailed scientific and technical information can be found in the company’s announcement titled; Nouveau Monde Increases Its Indicated Resources to 95.8MT at a Grade of 4.28% CG for its West Zone Graphite Deposit – Matawinie Property.
  7. The Current and Previous Mineral Resources are stated at a cut-off grade of 1.78% Cg.
  8. The standards used for this Resource Update are the same standards produced over the course of the Prefeasibility Study (results published June 27, 2018). The difference between the Current and Previous Resources comes from new drilling done in 2019 mainly in the south-west sector of the deposit and from deep drilling.
  9. Mineral Resource tonnage, grade and quantity have been rounded to reflect the accuracy of the estimate, and the totals therefore may not represent the exact sums of their components. The Mineral Reserve Estimate has an effective date of May 7, 2019. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that all or any part of the mineral resource will be converted into mineral reserve

Open-Pit Mineral Reserves Estimate for the West Zone (1)

Reserve Category2

 Tonnage (Mt)4,5 Grade (% Cg)3 Cg (Mt)
Proven 0 0 0
Probable2 59.8 4.35 2.52
Proven & Probable5 59.8 4.35 2.52

  1. The mineral reserves provided in this table were estimated using current Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves, Definitions and Guidelines.
  2. The Mineral Reserves are the Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources that have been identified as being economically extractable and which incorporate mining losses and the addition of waste dilution as set out in detailed scientific and technical information in the NI 43-101 technical report dated July 10, 2018, titled “NI 43-101 Technical Feasibility Study Report for the Matawinie Graphite Project” that was filed with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces of Canada on December 10, 2018.
  3. The cut-off grade for the open pit Mineral Reserves is 2.20 % Cg.
  4. Graphite tonnage is based on an average graphite recovery of 94% and concentrate product purity of 97%.
  5. The open pit design includes 59.8 Mt of Probable Mineral Reserves at a diluted grade of 4.35% Cg.  In order to access these reserves, 13.2 Mt of overburden and 50.0 Mt of waste rock will need to be removed.  This results in a LOM stripping ratio of 1.06 to 1 (waste/ore).
  6. Detailed scientific and technical information on the Matawinie Graphite Project can be found in the NI 43-101 technical report dated July 10, 2018, titled “NI 43-101 Technical Feasibility Study Report for the Matawinie Graphite Project” that was filed with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces of Canada on December 10, 2018. 

Operational Highlights

100 K

Tonne/Year graphite concentrate production

59.8 M

Tonnes of probable reserve at a 4.35% Cg average grade

94%

Graphite miling recovery

97% Cg

Finished product concentrate purity

1.06:1

Stripping ratio (LOM)

2021

Start of construction

Dedicated to stringent sustainable development standards, Nouveau Monde is committed to having both its equipment used for mining operations and its ore concentration and processing activities become fully electric within the first five years of production. This operating model, A WORLD’S FIRST FOR AN OPEN-PIT MINE, represents a potential reduction of over 300,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions over the mine’s lifespan.

Leveraging hydropower for a net-zero footprint

De-Risking the Project

In addition to establishing a social licence to operate, we have been operating a demonstration plant since Q4-2018 in Saint-Michel-des-Saints to:

  • Qualify products and establish a sales record;

  • Test and improve processes for optimization of proposed production;

  • Recruit and train employees ahead of commercial operations.

Products already available

Advanced Materials Plant

From Mine to Market

Graphite sourced from our Matawinie property constitutes a high-purity, battery-grade material to supply the lithium-ion industry.

To optimize savings across the value chain and ensure full traceability of products, we are working to establish a vertically integrated business model to deliver battery anode materials and advanced materials directly to the market.

Nouveau Monde’s proposed value-added operations will be located in an industrial park and near a major shipping port in Bécancour, Québec, approximately 150 km northeast of Montréal, on the Saint Lawrence River. The robust local infrastructure provides us with direct supply of required chemicals in addition to affordable hydroelectricity, skilled workforce, and a multi-modal logistical base in proximity to U.S. and European markets.

State-of-the-Art Technological Platform

Thanks to our proprietary transformation processes and a license to commercialize Hydro-Québec’s battery material technologies, Nouveau Monde is expected to deliver 99.95+%-pure advanced graphite materials.

Regrouping onsite micronisation, spheronisation, purification, and coating transformation units, Nouveau Monde’s planned secondary transformation plant is being engineered to produce a wide range of value-added graphite-based materials.

At this modular facility, we are targeting 42,000-tpa production of coated spherical purified graphite for the initial phase, with a capacity to reach 100,000 tpa as projected demand increases in battery and specialty markets. The proposed plant is designed to be efficient, carbon-neutral and virtually waste-less, bringing to market a truly sustainable product.

Our Playground: QuÉbec, CA

Set for Success

Nouveau Monde’s strategic location provides the perfect background for the development and growth of our integrated operations catering to growing markets.

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World-renowned environmental standards

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Stable, pro-business jurisdiction

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At the market’s doorstep

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R&D powerhouse

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Free trade agreements with 40+ countries

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Rapidly developing local lithium-ion/electric hub

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Established mining leadership

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Clean, affordable and renewable hydropower

We benefit from an extremely supportive governmental and institutional shareholder base to underpin our development.

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Leveraging Clean Hydropower

Quebec has vast hydraulic resources, some 500,000 lakes and 4,500 rivers, that power the entire province and adjacent states with an unlimited, green, and affordable source of energy.

Walking the Talk

With graphite playing such an important role in the energy transition, Nouveau Monde is embracing all-electric operations from the extraction and concentration of the mineral to the production of advanced materials.

We are set to become the world’s first all-electric open-pit mine – a feat of its own – but most importantly, we plan to bring to market products with a carbon-neutral footprint to help drive sustainability into the electric vehicle and stationary energy storage value chain.

Illustration showing greenhouse gas savingsIllustration of diesel graphite transportation
Delivering on our Sustainability Values