Nouveau Monde Graphite Reaches a Key Milestone for the Construction of Its Commercial Plant

SAINT-MICHEL-DES-SAINTS, Nov. 05, 2019 - Nouveau Monde Graphite Inc. ("Nouveau Monde " or "NMG") (TSX.V: NOU; OTCQX: NMGRF; Frankfurt: NM9) has awarded SNC-Lavalin, in partnership with Seneca and Boucher-Lachance Architects, the contract for detailed engineering and procurement services for the construction of its concentrator as part of its Matawinie graphite project.

"With an impressive track record in concentrator design, procurement and project management in Quebec, the selected firms will facilitate the commissioning of commercial operations to supply the market with high-quality graphite," said Eric Desaulniers, President and CEO of Nouveau Monde.

Engineering work is already underway to complete priority activities by the end of the fourth quarter of 2019, including the process review, a Class 2 estimate, and a risk and opportunity assessment to optimize infrastructure design and generate savings.

The entire project will be carried out in Virtual Design & Construction (VDC), enabling integrated and dynamic modelling of the Building Information Modeling (BIM) engineering for the concentrator. This innovative platform will facilitate the transfer from engineering to construction and then to operation. NMG's master team, part of the management team and composed of senior specialists with several decades of experience each, will act as experts to validate the engineering, the procurement strategy and the technical specifications for the equipment.

The engineering work will also take advantage of process optimizations identified at the demonstration plant, which has been operational for one year. With a few hundred tonnes of graphite concentrate produced to date, the operation has demonstrated exceptional ore quality and a high-performance process to achieve a graphite purity of 97% on average and up to 99% for the largest flakes.

Nouveau Monde leverages this production, which is segregated into several granulometric categories ranging from flakes of more than 0.3 millimetres (+50 mesh) to the finest products of less than 0.1 millimetres (-150 mesh), to supply potential customers with samples so they can test the concentrate and confirm their commercial intentions. The demonstration plant will also be the preferred training platform for future Nouveau Monde employees to accelerate the start-up of operations thanks to process knowledge and hands-on experience with similar equipment.

Mr. Desaulniers concluded: "Nouveau Monde’s mining project has really taken off in recent months now that we have a solid foundation for our Matawinie graphite project. Our demonstration plant has validated the effectiveness of our treatment process, which is now being optimized by our team of experts in anticipation of the commercial plant. Next year promises more achievements as we complete the design of our operation, reserve key equipment and crystallize our customer base.”

Technical information included in this press release was prepared by Eric Desaulniers, P.Geo., M.Sc., President and Chief Executive Officer of Nouveau Monde, a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101.

About Nouveau Monde Graphite

In 2015, Nouveau Monde Graphite discovered a major and high-quality graphite deposit on its Matawinie property, located in Saint-Michel-des-Saints, 150 km north of Montréal. This discovery led to the completion of a Feasibility Study, which revealed strong economics with projected graphite concentrate production of 100,000 tonnes per year over a 26-year period. Nouveau Monde will operate its demonstration plant until 2020. During this period, the Corporation expects to produce 2,000 tonnes of concentrated flake graphite to qualify its products with North American and international clients.

Moreover, in a perspective of vertical integration and sustainable development, Nouveau Monde is planning to establish a large-scale graphite secondary transformation facility, catering to the needs of the booming lithium-ion battery and expandable graphite markets.

With over 60 years of experience in the world of graphite, Nouveau Monde’s team is developing its project with the utmost respect for neighbouring communities, while favouring a minimal ecological footprint. Nouveau Monde’s project has direct access to the workforce and the infrastructure needed to operate its mining project, and it can also rely on an abundant, affordable source of hydroelectricity, a renewable resource.

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All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release including, but not limited to generally, or the “About Nouveau Monde Graphite” paragraph which essentially describe the Corporation’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 Corporation 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.

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 Corporation 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.

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