Mr. Raphael Gaudreault reports
ARIANNE PHOSPHATE PROVIDES AN UPDATE ON ITS MINISTERIAL DECREE
Arianne Phosphate Inc. has confirmed with the government of Quebec that its Ministerial Decree will remain valid for two years while the process to extend the decree is under way.
Obtained in December of 2015, Arianne's Lac a Paul project received approval from the government of Quebec for the project's development, with the initial authorization period valid for 10 years. Subsequently, on May 28, 2025, the Quebec government adopted Bill 81, which amended various regulations surrounding the permitting process and accompanying environmental provisions on a go-forward basis for Quebec mining projects. In 2024, Arianne's management began discussions with the Ministry of the Environment regarding the extension of its permit and has already submitted several of the required studies for its extension.
"The validity of our permit is a key component for the company and its stakeholders," said Raphael Gaudreault, chief operating officer of Arianne Phosphate. "Further, this extension provides the industry and potential partners with the comfort they need to advance the project's development and address the need for this critical mineral."
Phosphate, historically understood as a key agricultural commodity, has also risen in prominence due also to its use in advanced battery technologies such as the lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery. Demand for the LFP has grown rapidly over the last few years as applications such as EVs and energy storage systems (ESS) have grown in popularity. The challenge for the LFP and other battery technologies, along with access to the critical minerals required, is Chinese dominance. In the case of the LFP, China represents over 95 per cent of all production.
Acknowledging the strategic importance of phosphate, the U.S. government recently designated phosphate as a critical mineral, joining the European Union, Canada, and the provinces of Quebec and Ontario that have also added it to their respective critical mineral lists.
Arianne's Lac a Paul is, and remains, the only fully permitted, shovel-ready greenfield phosphate project in North America and is the global front-runner to provide for the West's immediate need for phosphate from a geopolitically secure jurisdiction. Situated in Quebec, Canada, the company has advanced its project through the investment of over $100-million and 15 years of work. The project hosts the world's largest greenfield phosphate deposit, has easy access to the necessary infrastructure, and has the strong support of the public, the first nations and the government. The deposit is geologically rare being igneous and allows for the easy transformation of its high-purity, low-contaminant phosphate concentrate into a purified phosphoric acid (PPA); the necessary ingredient for the LFP battery. Arianne has also released studies surrounding the company's intention to pursue the downstream production of PPA.
Decree extension process
The amendment provides that the authorization remains valid until a decision on the extension request has been made. The minister has a maximum period of two years after the expiry of the initial period to make his recommendation to the government. For Arianne, this period extends until December, 2027. Upon a positive response, the extension would be for a period of up to five years from the approbation.
Qualified
person
Raphael Gaudreault, Eng, qualified person by National Instrument 43-101, has approved the technical information included in this release. Mr. Gaudreault is also the company's chief operating officer.
About Arianne Phosphate
Inc.
Arianne Phosphate is developing the Lac a Paul phosphate deposits located approximately 200 kilometres north of the Saguenay/Lac St. Jean area of Quebec, Canada. These deposits will produce a high-quality igneous apatite concentrate grading 39 per cent P2O5 with little or no contaminants (feasibility study released in 2013). The company has 213,714,811 shares outstanding.
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