Nouveau Monde Awarded ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ by the Québec Mineral Exploration Association, as the Company Commissions its Phase-1 Purification Anode Material Production Facility

» Nouveau Monde emerged as the winner of the “Entrepreneur Of The Year” prize at the annual event organized by the Québec Mineral Exploration Association.

» The prize was awarded as recognition of the Company’s momentum in developing its integrated and sustainable “ore-to-battery” value chain.

» Projected to be the largest and most advanced natural graphite operation in North America, Nouveau Monde is actively implementing its business plan in a disciplined and de-risked approach to serve the growing markets of EVs and energy storage.

» This year, Nouveau Monde progressed on its development roadmap by securing the governmental authorization for the Matawinie mining project, launching construction for the commercial mine, building the Phase-1 facility for its proprietary purification technologies for anode material, listing on the NYSE, and raising additional capital to support the delivery of the next project milestones.

Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc.’s (“Nouveau Monde” or the “Company”) (NYSE: NMG, TSXV: NOU) continuous advancement in the past year culminated yesterday with the Entrepreneur of the Year Award presented by the Québec Mineral Exploration Association in recognition of the Company’s sustained corporate growth, from exploration to phase-1 production with a view to full-scale commercial operations of lithium-ion anode material destined to the electric vehicles (“EVs”) and energy storage markets.

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Current and announced lithium-ion battery production in the Western World, totaling over 1,400 GWh by 2030 (Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, October 2021).

Eric Desaulniers, Founder, President, and CEO of Nouveau Monde, welcomed the recognition: “This award is a testament to our sound yet ambitious business strategy. The rebuilding efforts of different economies within post-pandemic dynamics exacerbate the call for local, dependable, and sustainable advanced materials for a decarbonized future. I am thrilled to see that our unwavering focus on delivering a turn-key supply of natural graphite-based anode material is celebrated as a role model for mining and beneficiation businesses. Special thanks go to our employees, communities, business partners, shareholders, and governments for their support along this journey.”

Nouveau Monde’s agile, disciplined, and de-risked approach to developing its fully vertically integrated business model has consolidated its leading position in what is projected to be the largest and most advanced natural graphite operation in North America. As battery manufacturers and carmakers continue to expand their production capacity for the EV sector, the Company is well-positioned to provide a localized and carbon-neutral alternative to Chinese anode material supply.

Leveraging the assets of Québec, a tier-1 mining jurisdiction with exceptional infrastructure and clean hydropower, Nouveau Monde is actively advancing both its graphite extraction and beneficiation projects to scale up production.

Over the past twelve months, Nouveau Monde has secured the Québec governmental authorization for the Matawinie mining project following an extensive environmental review and stakeholder engagement process. Civil works for the commercial facilities were launched in the Q3-2021, while phase-1 operations at the demonstration concentrator continue to support the Company’s marketing and product qualification efforts.

Nouveau Monde also advanced its value-added phase-1 facilities to put into production its proprietary thermochemical ecotechnology for purification and commissioned a state-of-the-art laboratory to further its battery technology research and development. Committed to high ESG standards, the Company has also signed collaboration agreements to work on the full electrification of the Matawinie mining project and the recycling of graphite for reuse as anode battery material.

Drawing from learnings at its phase-1 operations and in R&D labs, Nouveau Monde has refined the engineering plans of its commercial facilities and perfected specifications of its advanced materials to provide high-performance, carbon-neutral and ethical supply to manufacturers of batteries, electric vehicles and energy storage systems.

About Nouveau Monde

Nouveau Monde is striving to become a key contributor to the sustainable energy revolution. The Company is working towards developing a fully integrated source of carbon-neutral battery anode material in Québec, Canada for the growing lithium-ion and fuel cell markets. With low-cost operations and enviable ESG standards, Nouveau Monde aspires to become a strategic supplier to the world’s leading battery and automobile manufacturers, providing high-performing and reliable advanced materials while promoting sustainability and supply chain traceability. www.NMG.com

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Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release including, but not limited to those describing the Company’s objective of becoming the largest and most advanced natural graphite operation in North America, the estimated future size of lithium-ion battery production in the Western World, the growth pattern of EV and energy storage markets, and those statements which are discussed under the “About Nouveau Monde” paragraph and elsewhere in the press release which essentially describe the Company’s outlook and objectives, constitute “forward-looking information” or “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of certain securities laws, and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the time of this press release. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the time of such statements, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. These estimates and assumptions may prove to be incorrect. Moreover, these forward-looking statements were based upon various underlying factors and assumptions, including the current technological trends, the business relationship between the Company and its stakeholders, the ability to operate in a safe and effective manner, the timely delivery and installation of the equipment supporting the production, the Company’s business prospects and opportunities and estimates of the operational performance of the equipment, and are not guarantees of future performance.

Forward-looking information and statements are subject to known or unknown risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking information and statements. Risk factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among others, delays in the scheduled delivery times of the equipment, the ability of the Company to successfully implement its strategic initiatives and whether such strategic initiatives will yield the expected benefits, the availability of financing or financing on favorable terms for the Company, the dependence on commodity prices, the impact of inflation on costs, the risks of obtaining the necessary permits, the operating performance of the Company’s assets and businesses, competitive factors in the graphite mining and production industry, changes in laws and regulations affecting the Company’s businesses, political and social acceptability risk, environmental regulation risk, currency and exchange rate risk, technological developments, the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic and the governments’ responses thereto, and general economic conditions, as well as earnings, capital expenditure, cash flow and capital structure risks and general business risks. Unpredictable or unknown factors not discussed in this Cautionary Note could also have material adverse effects on forward-looking statements.

Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can directly or indirectly affect, and could cause, actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management’s expectations and plans relating to the future. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or to explain any material difference between subsequent actual events and such forward-looking statements, except to the extent required by applicable law.

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.

Further information regarding the Company is available in the SEDAR database (www.sedar.com), and for United States readers on EDGAR (www.sec.gov), and on the Company’s website at: www.NMG.com

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"The rebuilding efforts of different economies within post-pandemic dynamics exacerbate the call for local, dependable, and sustainable advanced materials for a decarbonized future."