Symbols:

Nouveau Monde – NOU (TSX Venture), OTCQB: NMGRF, Frankfurt: NM9

证券代码

NOUVEAU MONDE：NOU（多伦多证券交易所）；魁北克场外交易所：NMGRF；法兰克福证券交易所：NM9

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 25th, 2017

即时发布

2017年7月25日

SAINT-MICHEL-DES-SAINTS, QUEBEC – Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. (TSX-V: NOU) (“Nouveau Monde” or the “Corporation”) has signed a non-binding letter of intent (or “LOI”) with Hunan Zhongke Shinzoom Co. Ltd. (“SHINZOOM”), a Chinese lithium-ion battery anode producer and developer (the “Parties”). The purpose of the proposed collaboration is to actively participate in the growing North American Li-Ion battery anode material market. To attain this goal the Parties seek to form a new corporation (“Distribution JV”) which will be owned 51% by SHINZOOM and 49% by Nouveau Monde.  Distribution JV will exclusively market SHINZOOM’s anode materials to lithium battery manufacturers in North America.  Subject to SHINZOOM’s investment policy and criteria, if the Distribution JV brings successful marketing and distribution results satisfactory to both SHINZOOM and Nouveau Monde in the first 18 months of Distribution JV, the Parties will evaluate the feasibility of manufacturing SHINZOOM’s anode material products (natural graphite, artificial graphite and composite graphite) in the Province of Quebec. Subject to conditions stated hereto, the processing of anode material products in the Province of Quebec would be developed through a new corporation (“Processing JV“) which would be owned 51% by Nouveau Monde and 49% by SHINZOOM. The non-binding LOI is conditional to various conditions which are amongst them, a mutual satisfactory due diligence and the execution of the definitive agreements such as distribution agreement and shareholder agreement (the “definitive agreements”) no later than October 1^st, 2017.  Completion of the transaction is subject to a number of conditions.  There can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

魁北克，圣-米歇尔-圣徒——Nouveau Monde石墨公司（TSX-V: NOU）（简称：“Nouveau Monde”或“公司”）与湖南中科星城石墨有限公司（简称“中科星城”）（合称：“双方”）签署了不具有约束性的《意向书》，中科星城为一家中国锂离子电池负极材料制造与开发商。该合作目的在于双方积极参与日益成长的北美锂离子电池负极材料市场的开发。为实现该目的，双方寻求成立一家新的公司（“营销合资企业”），由中科星城拥有51%，NMG拥有49%，专门向北美锂离子电池制造商提供中科星城的负极材料。以符合中科星城的投资政策和标准为前提，如果营销公司在成立的前18个月内带来让双方均感满意的营销成果时，双方将评估在魁北克省生产中科星城负极材料产品（天然石墨、人造石墨、复合石墨）的可行性。在满足了前述条件的前提下, 双方将通过一家由NMG拥有51%、中科星城拥有49%的新公司（“生产合资企业”）在魁北克省生产负极材料产品。该不具有约束性的《意向书》设有一系列的前提条件，其中包括令双方满意的尽职调查以及不迟于2017年10月1签署最终协议，如《营销协议》和《股东协议》等。该意向书不保证交易按照建议完成。

Éric Desaulniers, President and CEO of Nouveau Monde stated: “SHINZOOM is a well-respected and established anode material producer in Asia.  The collaboration between SHINZOOM and Nouveau Monde, if realized by the execution of the definitive agreements, would provide North American battery makers with much needed high-quality and competitively-priced anode materials. This strategy would allow Nouveau Monde to become more vertically integrated and initiate a dialogue with customers. Mr. Desaulniers continued, “Our graphite project is not covered in the non-binding LOI, but anodes require graphite and in the event of potential manufacturing of SHINZOOM’s anode material products in Quebec it would obviously be beneficial for Nouveau Monde’s graphite products. The signing of this non-binding LOI paves a way for Nouveau Monde to actively engage customers today as well as develop its Matawinie graphite project, with a goal of maximizing downstream graphite market exposure.”

公司总裁兼首席执行官Éric Desaulniers表示：“中科星城是一家受人尊敬的、在亚洲的成熟的负极材料生产厂家。通过中科星城和Nouveau Monde石墨公司之间的如期合作，将为北美锂离子电池制造商提供急需的、高品质和有竞争力价格的负极材料。该战略使得Nouveau Monde石墨公司更加垂直一体化并与客户展开对话，最终引入满足公司客户目前与长期需求的新负极材料”。Desaulniers先生继续表示：“该不具有约束性的《意向书》不涵盖公司石墨矿，但负极材料需要石墨。如果将来有可能在魁北克省生产中科星城的负极材料这显而易见将有益于NMG的石墨产品。签署该不具有约束性的《意向书》为公司现时积极吸引客户以及开发其Matawinie石墨项目开辟了道路，目的是实现下游石墨的产品市场推广与潜在利润最大化。”

“The North American market has tremendous growth potential for SHINZOOM and we are ready to penetrate this market with our leading-edge anode material products,” commented Mr Tao Pi, General Manager of SHINZOOM. “We have already started building relationship with customers in North America.  We believe that Nouveau Monde has good connections with major North American battery manufacturers and we sincerely hope that our collaboration with Nouveau Monde will immediately increase our sales in North America.”

“北美市场对中科星城而言具有巨大的成长潜力，我们已经准备好将我们先进的负极材料产品打入该市场”，中科星城的总经理皮涛评论道，“我们与北美客户已经开始建立起联系。我们相信NMG与北美主要的锂离子电池制造商有着良好的关系，并真诚地希望与NMG的合作能在短时期内促进我们在北美市场的销售。”

ABOUT SHINZOOM

Hunan Zhongke Shinzoom Co., Ltd. is a hi-tech enterprise specializing in the R&D and production of LiB anode materials in China. Taking the R&D of power LiB anode materials as its cardinal direction, its products have also covered multi-fields of individual consumer LiB like Aluminum-can Type, Cylindrical Type, Polymer Type, etc. It’s one of the anode material suppliers for E-buses used in Beijing Olympic 2008, Shanghai World Expo 2010 and Shenzhen Universiade 2011 held in China, and had gained a high reputation and a profound influence in the industry.

关于中科星城

湖南中科星城石墨有限公司是中国一家专业从事锂离子电池负极材料生产与研发的高新技术企业，公司以锂动力电池负极材料的研发和应用为主攻方向，同时覆盖铝壳、圆柱、软包等个人消费类锂离子电池领域，是2008年中国北京奥运会、2010年上海世博会和2011年深圳大运会等电动大巴的电池材料供应商之一，在业内拥有很高的知名度与影响力。

ABOUT NOUVEAU MONDE GRAPHITE

With a management team that has over 40 years of recent experience in the production, processing and marketing of natural graphite, Nouveau Monde Graphite (NMG) is a dynamic company positioned as a future leader in the emerging North American graphite and anode material for lithium-ion battery markets.  NMG is evaluating its Matawinie graphite project discovered in 2015 with the objective of becoming the largest graphite mine in North America. The company published a Preliminary Economic Assessment, completed according to NI 43-101 guidelines, in June of 2016. (see press release dated June 22, 2016 : http://bit.ly/2tEsoPT). The project is located in the Saint-Michel-des-Saints area, some 120 km north of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It has direct access to all needed infrastructure, labour as well as green and affordable hydroelectricity.  NMG is developing its project with the highest corporate social responsibility standards while targeting a low environmental footprint (targeting a net zero carbon emission operation.

关于Nouveau Monde

Nouveau Monde 石墨（NMG）是一家充满活力的公司，拥有超过40年的天然石墨生产，加工和销售经验的管理团队，定位为新兴北美石墨和锂离子电池负极材料市场的未来领导者。 NMG正在评估2015年发现的Matawinie石墨项目，目标是成为北美最大的石墨矿。该公司在2016年6月发布了根据NI 43-101指南完成的初步经济评估。（见新闻稿，2016年6月22日：http://bit.ly/2tEsoPT）。该项目位于加拿大魁北克蒙特利尔以北约120公里的圣-米歇尔-圣徒地区。它可以直接使用所有需要的基础设施，劳动力以及绿色和廉价的水电资源。 NMG正在开发其具有最高企业社会责任标准的项目，同时以低环境影响（针对净零碳排放操作）为目标。

This press release was prepared by Eric Desaulniers, M.Sc., P.Geo., President and CEO of Nouveau Monde, Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101 guidelines.

本公告由NMG总裁兼首席执行官Eric Desaulniers, M.Sc., P.Geo.审阅，NMG符合《NI43-101标准》的适用标准。

Completion of the transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, TSX Venture Exchange acceptance. There can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

本交易的完成受一系列条件的约束，包括但不限于获得TSXV的接受。不保证本交易能按计划完成或可以完成。

For further information, please contact:

Lamia Charlebois, Public Relations for AGC Communications.

(514) 279-4601

rp@lamiacharlebois.com

更多信息，请联系：

Lamia Charlebois, AGC公共关系通信

(514) 279-4601

更多信息，请联系：

Andrew Tan

+1(647) 894-7888

 

 

Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) has in any way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction or approved or disapproved the contents of this press release.

无论是TSX-V或其监管服务提供者（TSX-V政策中定义的条款）均未以任何方式通过拟议交易的实质内容或批准或不批准本公告的内容。

Except for historical information, this press release may contain “forward-looking statements” and “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities laws that reflect the Nouveau Monde’s current expectation regarding future events, including, without limitation, the execution of the definitive agreements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance and achievements of Nouveau Monde, as the case may be, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the said forward-looking statements. Nouveau Monde expressly disclaims any intention to update or revise any forward-looking statements and information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law.

除历史资料，本公告根据适用证券法的规定可能含“前瞻性陈述”及“前瞻性信息”，反映了NMG当前对未来事项的展望，包括但不限于最终协议的签署。本公告中“前瞻性陈述”涉及已知和未知风险、不确定性及其他可能给NMG带来实际结果、表现和成果的因素，因本案实质上可能/会有别于上述“前瞻性陈述”表达或暗含的任何未来结果、表现或成果。NMG明确否认试图针对任何前瞻性陈述和信息所做的任何更新或修改，无论是由于新信息还是未来事项，法律规定的除外。

 

Picture taken at Shinzoom HQ in Changsha in May 2017.  From left to right: Mr Tom Shen (Co-Harvest fund), Madam Yu (Zhongke Electric Chairwoman), Mr Tao Pi (General Manager of Hunan Zhongke Shinzoom) and Eric Desaulniers, CEO of Nouveau Monde Graphite.

 

Picture of Shinzoom and Nouveau Monde teams on Matawinie graphite deposit in St-Michel-des-Saints during site visit in March 2017.