Mr. Blake Hylands reports

LITHIUM IONIC ADVANCES CONSTRUCTION READINESS AT BANDEIRA; SECURES CONSTRUCTION-PHASE WATER ACCESS AND PROVIDES ENGINEERING AND PROCUREMENT UPDATES

Lithium Ionic Corp. has provided an update on recent engineering, procurement and construction-readiness progress at its 100-per-cent-owned Bandeira lithium project, located in Minas Gerais, Brazil's globally significant Lithium Valley.

Recent progress reflects continued advancement across key preconstruction workstreams, including site access, mine planning, underground infrastructure engineering and major equipment procurement.

Recent progress

• Secured direct access to a reliable construction-phase water source through an 18-month lease agreement for abstraction from the Jequitinhonha River;
• Completed a detailed three-year mine plan and a refined life-of-mine plan for Bandeira with NCL Ingenieria y Construccion SpA (NCL), further validating the feasibility study announced Sept. 17, 2025;
• Completed basic engineering for the underground mine portals with Tractebel Engineering, enabling portal construction tendering to advance;
• Issued tenders for the project's main crushing units, with supplier proposals received and under evaluation.

Blake Hylands, PGeo, chief executive officer of Lithium Ionic, commented: "These milestones reflect continued progress across several important preconstruction workstreams at Bandeira. Securing access to reliable contruction-phase water access supports site-level readiness, while the completion of updated mine planning, portal engineering and crusher tendering further advances the project from engineering toward execution planning. Our team remains focused on disciplined engineering, procurement and construction-readiness activities as we continue to move Bandeira toward a construction decision."

Securing construction-phase water access

In June, 2026, the company executed an 18-month lease agreement with a local landowner securing direct access to the Jequitinhonha River in the municipality of Aracuai, Minas Gerais, for water abstraction during the construction phase of Bandeira. The agreement grants access to the abstraction point located on the lessor's property and enables the company to exercise its existing water rights under the water-use authorization issued by the Agencia Nacional das Aguas (ANA).

This agreement supports site-level construction planning and represents a key derisking milestone.

Completion of three-year plan and refined LOM plan

NCL completed a detailed three-year plan together with a refined LOM plan for Bandeira. The work refines the underground mine schedule, development sequencing and production priorities for the initial years of operation across the full life of the project. The plan validates and supports the feasibility study and the company's detailed engineering, construction sequencing and execution planning as Bandeira advances toward a construction decision.

Engineering and underground portal advancement

The company has completed basic engineering for the two underground mine portals in collaboration with Tractebel Engineering, a leading global engineering consultancy in energy, water and infrastructure, part of the ENGIE group. Completion of this basic engineering enables the company to proceed to the market for portal construction, with the tender process now advancing. The portals are a critical early works component on the path to construction.

Procurement and tendering progress

The company continues to advance procurement of major process equipment in support of construction readiness. The project's main crushing units have been tendered to five leading crusher suppliers, with five proposals received and currently under evaluation.

This tendering activity forms part of the company's disciplined procurement program as engineering and execution planning continue to advance at Bandeira.

Qualified person

The technical and scientific content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Blake Hylands, PGeo, chief executive officer and director of Lithium Ionic, who is a qualified person as defined in National Instrument 43-101 -- Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Mr. Hylands is not independent of the company.

About Lithium Ionic Corp.

Lithium Ionic is a Canadian lithium development company focused on responsibly advancing its 100-per-cent-owned Bandeira lithium project in Minas Gerais, Brazil, a region coined the Lithium Valley that is emerging as a premier hard-rock lithium district. The company is executing on a focused development strategy centred on engineering derisking, permitting advancement, commercial planning and construction readiness, with the goal of becoming a near-term producer of high-quality spodumene concentrate for global battery supply chains.

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