Nemaska Lithium Receives First USD 75M Payment From Orion Under Streaming Agreement
QUEBEC CITY, Aug. 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Nemaska Lithium Inc. (“Nemaska Lithium” or the “Corporation”) (TSX: NMX) (OTCQX: NMKEF) (FRANKFURT: N0T) is pleased to confirm that Nemaska Lithium Shawinigan Transformation Inc., its wholly-owned subsidiary, has received a first payment of USD 75M from affiliates of Orion Mine Finance II LP (“Orion”) under the streaming agreement entered into on April 12, 2018 (the “Streaming Agreement”). Such payment represents the first tranche of the total advance payment equal to USD 150M to be made by Orion under the Streaming Agreement (see press release of April 12, 2018). The second USD 75M tranche will be payable upon the satisfaction of certain technical and other customary conditions that can be satisfied until December 31, 2019.
Guy Bourassa, President and CEO, commented, “We welcome this first payment and look forward to working with Orion in the coming months to bring in the second tranche payment. We are also on track with the requirements to meet the conditions precedent to the Bond offering’s “Long Stop Date” of August 30, 2018 (see press release of May 30, 2018 for full details). The project execution itself is moving forward in terms of, but not limited to, engineering and construction and we are bringing in the components of the project funding as needed.”
This first tranche payment from Orion was the main remaining conditions precedent to the Long Stop Date. The gross proceeds of the Bond Offering currently sits into a USD escrow account pending the satisfaction of the last conditions precedent on or prior the Long Stop Date.
Stormcrow Capital acted as advisor to Nemaska Lithium and facilitated the Orion streaming transaction.
About Nemaska Lithium
Nemaska Lithium is a developing chemical company whose activities will be vertically integrated, from spodumene mining to the commercialization of high-purity lithium hydroxide and lithium carbonate. These lithium salts are mainly destined for the fast-growing lithium-ion battery market, which is driven by the increasing demand for electric vehicles and energy storage worldwide. With its products and processes, Nemaska Lithium intends to facilitate access to green energy.
The Corporation will be operating the Whabouchi mine in Québec, Canada, one of the richest lithium spodumene deposits in the world, both in volume and grade. The spodumene concentrate produced at the Whabouchi mine will be processed at the Shawinigan plant using a unique membrane electrolysis process for which the Corporation holds several patents.
Nemaska Lithium is a member of the S&P/TSX SmallCap Index, S&P/TSX Global Mining Index, S&P/TSX Global Base Metals Index, S&P/TSX Equal Weight Global Base Metals Index, and the MSCI Canada Small Cap Index. For more information, visit nemaskalithium.com or twitter.com/Nemaska_Lithium.
Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information
All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release including, but not limited to, those relating to the Corporation bringing all the funding needed to execute the project, constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of certain securities laws and are based on expectations and projections as of the date of this press release. Certain important assumptions by the Corporation in making forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the Corporation receiving all proceeds from the Streaming Agreement and the Bond offering.
Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, those related to (i) the receipt by the Corporation of the second USD 75M tranche from the Streaming Agreement, (ii) the satisfaction of the conditions precedent to the Long Stop Date, (iii) the project moving on track, and (iv) generally, the above "About Nemaska Lithium" paragraph which essentially describes the Corporation's outlook. Forward-looking statements 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 the Corporation will meet all requirements to the Long Stop Date and will receive the second USD 75M tranche from the Streaming Agreement, as future events could differ materially what is currently anticipated by the Corporation.
By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, and risks exist that estimates, forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements will not be achieved or that assumptions do not reflect future experience. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's endeavors to complete its project financing and, more generally, its expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements as a number of important risk factors and future events could cause the actual outcomes to differ materially from the beliefs, plans, objectives, expectations, anticipations, estimates, assumptions and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those made in our other filings with the securities regulators of Canada including, but not limited to, the cautionary statements made in the "Risk Factors" section of the Corporation's Annual Information Form dated October 5, 2017 and the "Risk Exposure and Management" section of the Corporation's quarterly Management Discussion & Analysis. The Corporation cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive, and new, unforeseeable risks may arise from time to time. 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.
Further information regarding Nemaska Lithium is available in the SEDAR database (www.sedar.com) and on the Corporation's website at: www.nemaskalithium.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
| Victor Cantore Investor Relations 514 831-3809 victor.cantore@nemaskalithium.com Fanny-Ève Tapp Media Relations 514 442-0445 fanny-eve.tapp@nemaskalithium.com | Wanda Cutler Investor Relations 416 303-6460 wanda.cutler@nemaskalithium.com |