Mr. Bernard Tourillon reports

HPQ SILICON AND NOVACIUM SIGN INDUSTRIAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT WITH AD-VENTA, ADVANCING METAGENE™ SCALE-UP

HPQ Silicon Inc. and its French technology partner Novacium SAS have signed an industrial and commercial co-operation agreement with AD-Venta Innovative, a major player in the design of high-pressure hydrogen storage, regulation and distribution systems based in Chateauneuf-sur-Isere, France.

This agreement marks a pivotal step in the development of the Metagene technology, the innovative solution developed by Novacium to autonomously produce high-pressure green hydrogen. This new partnership will accelerate the development of the Metagene station and increase its production capacity, which could now reach up to 20 kilograms of hydrogen per day, compared with the previously anticipated one to 10 kilograms/day range.

"The arrival of AD-Venta in the project, and in particular the involvement of its CEO, Mr. Jean-Luc Mussot, who is internationally recognized for his expertise in high-pressure hydrogen regulation and distribution, represents an important milestone for us," said Jed Kraiem, head of Novacium. "His 40 years of experience, notably at comEX, one of the most prestigious companies in hyperbaric engineering, is a major asset for successfully scaling the project."

This alliance will not only shorten the Metagene station's development timeline but also significantly boost its production capacity. AD-Venta already operates a high-pressure hydrogen dispensing station. While it does not produce hydrogen, it is supplied with compressed hydrogen cylinders at 200 bar, which are recompressed to 350 bar or higher via an integrated compressor and then stored in dedicated tanks. Hydrogen is then dispensed through a nozzle similar to a standard fueling station, with a maximum capacity of roughly 20 kilograms of H2 per day.

A key objective of this agreement is to adapt the station's upstream section to integrate the Metagene hydrogen-production reactor. This reactor, which generates hydrogen from an aluminum-silicon fuel, will be directly incorporated into the station, replacing the external 200-bar compressed-hydrogen cylinders previously used as feedstock.

"We are delighted to join the project led by Novacium, as it opens the door to a highly promising collaboration," said Jean-Luc Mussot, chief executive officer of AD-Venta. "I am familiar with the Metagene technology developed by Mr. Kraiem and Mr. Nichiporuk, whom I have known for many years, and I am convinced it represents an important advancement for decentralized high-pressure hydrogen production. It is especially well suited for off-grid applications, as it does not rely on heavy infrastructure and offers an economical way to generate hydrogen in isolated environments."

"This agreement with AD-Venta is a major accelerator for the project," added Mr. Kraiem. "Even if this first version, based on an existing compression and dispensing station, will not achieve full autonomy, since the compressor will require minimal electrical power, it is a genuine accelerator. Fundamentally, it allows us to reach the market much faster while providing a system with greater capacity from the outset."

Under this agreement, HPQ, Novacium and AD-Venta will collaborate on integrating the Metagene hydrogen reactor into the station acquired by AD-Venta. In practice, work already began in September, 2025, with a pilot phase planned for 2026. The objective is to conduct operational tests as quickly as possible to validate hydrogen production capacity, particularly for hydrogen-vehicle fleets, hydrogen-powered drones and autonomous power-supply stations.

Potential commercial applications

With a production of 20 kilograms of hydrogen per day (equivalent to 400 kilowatt-hours of useful electrical energy via a 60-per-cent PEM fuel cell), a single Metagene unit delivers performance enabling stable and autonomous power supply in regions without centralized electrical grids or where logistics constraints are particularly challenging.

This capability unlocks continuous power for critical systems such as inspection and mapping drones, communication and telemetry stations, remote-monitoring posts, and many other infrastructures requiring a reliable, durable, deployable energy source in isolated settings.

Examples include:

• 80 to 130 one-hour inspection flights for 15 to 25 kg multirotor drones (pipelines, flare stacks, high-voltage lines);
• 45 to 70 one-hour missions for 50 to 120 kg drones dedicated to offshore oil and gas platform monitoring;
• Up to 30 hours of continuous flight for a 15 kg mapping drone covering 400 to 600 km of pipelines or 500 hectares of oil fields per mission;
• Simultaneous powering of six to 10 ground-based inspection drones in ATEX zones (refineries, isolated wells, LNG (liquified natural gas) terminals), with 72 hours of autonomous on-site operation without diesel logistics.

These figures correspond directly to the needs currently expressed by major oil and gas companies, integrated electric-grid operators, and North American defence organizations.

"The strategic agreement with AD-Venta not only decisively accelerates the development and commercialization of our Metagene onboard hydrogen generator, for which HPQ holds the exclusive North American licence, it also contributes to increasing the technology's maturity," said Bernard Tourillon, president and chief executive officer of HPQ Silicon. "Metagene is an adaptable solution capable of autonomously delivering green gaseous hydrogen and is particularly suited to extreme environments, making it fully compatible with North America's geographic realities."

The agreement, signed at the end of November, 2025, establishes a framework for collaboration but does not currently include any material terms.

About AD-Venta

AD-Venta is an innovative company specializing in the design and manufacture of on-board high-pressure hydrogen storage and management systems, including pressure regulators, smart valves and cylinder heads for mobile applications. Based in Chateauneuf-sur-Isere (Drome), it provides turnkey solutions for hydrogen mobility (light vehicles, aeronautics, marine), with recognized expertise in gas safety and regulation, contributing to the energy transition and carbon-emission reduction.

About Novacium SAS

Novacium is an innovative technology startup founded in 2022 in France. It is an engineering and R&D (research-and-development) company dedicated to energy-related materials, with specialization in silicon and hydrogen. Novacium is developing two technologies: a new silicon-based anode material that significantly increases Li-ion battery capacity, and a stand-alone hydrogen-generation system for civilian and military applications using a proprietary silicon-aluminum alloy fuel.

About HPQ Silicon Inc.

HPQ Silicon is a Quebec-based industrial issuer listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V: HPQ) focused on innovation in advanced materials and the development of critical processes. In partnership with its R&D collaborator Novacium, in which HPQ is a shareholder, the company is developing next-generation (GEN3) battery-anode materials, commercializing its Endura+ lithium-ion cells, and advancing breakthrough technologies in autonomous clean-hydrogen production and waste-to-energy conversion, for which HPQ holds exclusive North American rights.

HPQ is also advancing its proprietary technologies to become a low-cost, zero carbon dioxide producer of fumed silica and high-purity silicon, supported by PyroGenesis Inc. Together, these initiatives position HPQ to capture growth opportunities across the energy storage, clean hydrogen and advanced materials sectors, all of which are essential to meeting global net-zero objectives.

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