Mr. Bernard Tourillon reports

HPQ SILICON'S INDUSTRIAL LITHIUM-ION GEN4 21700 CELLS SURPASS 7,000 MAH - BASED ON EXTENDED TEST CONDITIONS

21700 cylindrical cells manufactured using HPQ Silicon Inc. partner Novacium SAS's GEN4 silicon-based anode material have surpassed 7,000 milliampere-hours of discharge capacity, based on internal testing conducted under extended operating conditions. This result was achieved under a modified deep-discharge cycling protocol, with a lower-voltage cut-off of 0.55 volt, compared with the industry-standard 2.5 volts.

Commercially available 21700 graphite cells typically deliver between 4,800 and 5,000 milliampere-hours. The previous Novacium GEN4 record stood at 6,696 milliampere-hours under standard conditions (0.1 C, 4.2 volts to 2.5, 25 C). Crossing the 7,000-milliampere-hour threshold required departing from conventional testing protocols and accessing a voltage window previously considered incompatible with long-term cycling stability in conventional lithium-ion chemistries.

What makes this result scientifically significant is not merely the capacity figure, but the demonstrated cycle stability achieved alongside it. A discharge to 0.55 volt would typically result in significant and irreversible degradation in conventional graphite or silicon-based cells. Novacium's GEN4 material completed 70 full cycles under this protocol with less than 2-per-cent capacity degradation, indicating that its silicon-based material may tolerate extended operating conditions beyond those typically used in conventional lithium-ion cells.

These results suggest the potential for expanded operating windows in lithium-ion cell design, subject to further validation, optimization and system-level integration. Potential applications may include high-energy-density use cases, where capacity per unit volume is a critical constraint; however, commercial applicability will depend on further development and validation.

This result continues a consistent generational progression: from a 2,778-milliampere-hour graphite reference in 18650 formats, through GEN1 (approximately 3,153 milliampere-hours), GEN2 (approximately 3,808 milliampere-hours), GEN3 (approximately 4,030 milliampere-hours in 18650/approximately 6,050 milliampere-hours in 21700), GEN4's 6,696-milliampere-hour record under standard conditions and now a 7,000-plus milliampere-hours result in extended-range conditions. GEN5 is being developed with a target of achieving approximately 7,000 milliampere-hours under standard protocols by 2027.

HPQ holds exclusive North American rights to commercialize Novacium's GEN3 and GEN4 silicon-based battery materials under the HPQ Endura+ brand.

"Breaking the 7,000-milliampere-hour barrier in a 21700 cell is a milestone that, to the company's knowledge, has not been widely reported in publicly available data for an industrial-format cell under comparable conditions. What is equally important is that we achieved this while maintaining initial cycle stability over the test period, thereby indicating that our material can operate under extended conditions that, according to published literature, typically result in severe degradation or loss of functionality in conventional graphite-based lithium-ion cells," said Bernard Tourillon, president and chief executive officer of HPQ Silicon. "This supports the electrochemical performance characteristics of GEN4 and enables further exploration of expanded operating parameters for potential future battery applications, subject to further validation."

"These results confirm something we have believed since GEN3: Novacium's silicon-based anode technology may enable performance improvements beyond conventional operating constraints. The ability to cycle reliably at 0.55-volt lower cut-off with less than 2-per-cent degradation over 70 cycles suggests the possibility of alternative operating modes, subject to further validation and engineering development," added Dr. Jed Kraiem, chief operating officer of Novacium.

About HPQ Silicon Inc.

HPQ Silicon is a Quebec-based TSX Venture Exchange industrial issuer focused on innovation in advanced materials and critical process development. In partnership with its research and development partner Novacium -- of which HPQ is a shareholder -- the company is advancing next-generation silicon-based anode materials (GEN3) for batteries, commercializing its Endura+ lithium-ion cells, and developing breakthrough clean-hydrogen and waste-to-energy technologies, for which HPQ holds exclusive North American rights.

HPQ is also pursuing proprietary technologies to become a low-cost, zero-carbon-dioxide producer of fumed silica with technical support from PyroGenesis Inc. Together, these initiatives position HPQ to capture growth opportunities in the energy storage, clean hydrogen and advanced materials markets essential to achieving global net-zero goals.

About Novacium SAS

Novacium is an innovative technology start-up created in 2022, in France. It is an engineering and R&D company dedicated to materials for energy, with a specialization in silicon and hydrogen. Novacium is developing two technologies. The first concerns a new silicon-based anode material that significantly increases the capacity of lithium-ion batteries. Novacium's second activity is the generation of hydrogen. Novacium is developing an autonomous hydrogen generation system for civil and military applications fuelled by a patented alloy based on silicon and aluminum.

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