Northern Graphite Corporation ("Northern" or the "Company") and The BMI Group ("BMI") are pleased to announce that they are partnering to evaluate the feasibility of establishing a Battery Anode Material ("BAM") facility at a former paper mill in Baie-Comeau, Quebec that is being developed by BMI as the Norderra multimodal industrial hub ("Norderra").
Northern and BMI will collaboratively engage local authorities and utility providers to secure the necessary power supply to build a Stage 1, 50,000 tonnes-per-year BAM hub in Baie-Comeau and to maximize the site's economic benefits and minimize its environmental impacts with respect to the city, the Innu of Pessamit and other local stake holders. The partners will also review the site's viability from the perspective of operational requirements, infrastructure and zoning regulations.
"Reactivating this site with all of its established infrastructure could accelerate construction of a BAM plant, reduce time to market and advance Quebec and Canada's critical mineral strategy while creating new jobs and economic stimulus for the region," said Northern CEO Hugues Jacquemin. "With graphite demand projected to surge in coming years, this is an opportunity to position Canada as a leader in battery materials essential for EVs and renewable energy."
The proposed Baie-Comeau BAM hub could be located at either Norderra, BMI's infrastructure-ready node on its planned Critical Mineral Corridor which connects northern Ontario and Quebec's mineral resources with manufacturing hubs and global markets, or at an alternative 300-acre greenfield site owned by the city. Northern is currently evaluating both options but the Norderra location has significant advantages in terms of existing infrastructure and speed to market.
"This partnership would significantly contribute to putting the former mill's infrastructure to use, advancing the Norderra development, and unlocking the full potential of the region's graphite resources," said Paul Veldman, CEO of The BMI Group.
Battery Anode Material, the single largest component of lithium-ion batteries, is made by upgrading graphite mine concentrate to the exacting specifications of EV battery manufacturers and Northern's Baie-Comeau initiative addresses this critical need that is currently missing from the energy transition supply chain.
If the partnership proceeds, it would advance the BMI Group's burgeoning critical minerals infrastructure as well as help turn Northern into one of the world's largest integrated graphite producers. Feedstock will be supplied from Northern's LDI mine in Quebec and development projects in Namibia, and Ontario. The Baie-Comeau plant will complement Northern's planned BAM facility in France, recently selected as a Strategic Project under the EU's Critical Raw Materials Act.
