Graphite One's Graphite Creek Project Approved for FAST-41 Federal Permitting Dashboard

Rhea-AI Summary

Graphite One (GPHOF) has achieved a significant milestone as its Graphite Creek project becomes the first Alaskan mining project approved for the FAST-41 Federal Permitting Dashboard. This follows the completion of their Feasibility Study, funded by a $37.3M Defense Production Act award. The study revealed impressive metrics: annual graphite concentrate capacity increased to 175,000 tpy, a post-tax IRR of 27%, NPV of $5.03 billion, and a 7.5-year payback period. The project includes a mine in Alaska and a manufacturing facility in Warren, Ohio, supported by a $325M EXIM Bank Letter of Interest. The FAST-41 status streamlines the federal permitting process, providing improved timeline predictability and public tracking capabilities. The project is strategically positioned to address U.S. critical mineral needs, with USGS recognizing it as America's largest natural graphite deposit.

Positive

• First Alaskan mining project to receive FAST-41 status, streamlining the permitting process
• Feasibility Study shows strong financials: 27% IRR, $5.03B NPV, and 7.5-year payback period
• Significant capacity increase to 175,000 tpy from previous 53,000 tpy while maintaining 20-year mine life
• Measured plus Indicated Resources increased to 322% of the Pre-Feasibility Study resource
• Secured $325M Letter of Interest from EXIM Bank for Ohio manufacturing facility
• Strong political support from Alaska's Governor and Congressional delegation

Negative

• Extended 7.5-year payback period indicates significant time to recoup investment
• Project still subject to financing requirements
• Complex two-location operation (Alaska mine and Ohio facility) may present logistical challenges

Graphite One becomes the first Alaskan Critical Mineral mining project on the FAST-41 Dashboard

FAST-41 status follows completion of Graphite One Feasibility Study funded by a $37.3M award under the Defense Production Act

G1 enters Permitting Phase as Presidential Critical Mineral Executive Order calls for "Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production" and "Unleashing Alaska's Extraordinary Resource Potential"

VANCOUVER, BC, June 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Graphite One Inc. (TSXV: GPH) (OTCQX: GPHOF) ("Graphite One", the "Company", or "G1"), is pleased to announce that the Company's Graphite Creek project – the upstream anchor for G1's complete U.S.-based advanced graphite supply chain ("Graphite Creek")– has been accepted as a "covered project" onto the FAST-41 Permitting Dashboard.  Graphite One's project is the first Alaskan mining project to be listed on the FAST-41 Dashboard. 

"The approval of Graphite Creek as FAST-41's first Alaskan mining project is a major step for G1 and our complete U.S.-based supply chain strategy," said Anthony Huston, CEO of Graphite One.  "With President Trump's Critical Mineral and Alaska Executive Orders, Graphite One is positioned at the leading edge of a domestic Critical Mineral renaissance that will power transformational applications from energy and transportation to AI infrastructure and national defense." 

Graphite One's domestic supply chain is planned to produce graphite concentrate from the Graphite Creek deposit North of Nome, Alaska and Anode Active Material at a facility to be constructed in Warren, Ohio, subject to financing (the "Project"). 

FAST-41 status follows publication of Graphite One's Feasibility Study ("FS") on April 23, 2025, which, with the support of the Department of Defense Production Act (DPA) award, was completed 15 months ahead of schedule.  The annual graphite concentrate capacity of the Graphite Creek Mine in the FS was increased from that in the 2022 Pre-Feasibility Study ("PFS") – from 53,000 tpy to 175,000 tpy while maintaining a 20-year mine life.  Measured plus Indicated Resources increased to 322% of the PFS resource. The FS projects a post-tax internal rate of return of 27%, using an 8% discount rate, with a net present value of $5.03 billion and a payback period of 7.5 years.

FAST-41 streamlines the permitting process by providing improved timeliness and predictability by establishing publicly posted timelines and procedures for federal agencies, reducing unpredictability in the permitting process.  FAST-41 also provides issue resolution mechanisms, while the federal permitting dashboard allows all project stakeholders and the general public to track a project's progress, including periods for public comment. 

The action drew strong support from Alaska's leading public officials:

"America's dependency on foreign minerals and metals is a drag on our economy and a danger to our national security," said Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy.  "As the largest natural graphite deposit in the nation, adding Graphite Creek to the FAST-41 Permitting Dashboard sends a strong signal that Alaska is key to U.S. Critical Mineral development."

"Graphite One's addition to the FAST-41 permitting dashboard is yet another indication that this project is a national priority of strategic importance," said Senator Lisa Murkowski. "There is no question that developing the largest natural graphite deposit in all of North America is far better for our economy, security, and competitiveness than importing the entirety of our supply from unstable nations like Mozambique. I thank the Trump administration for adding Graphite One to the dashboard and look forward to the day this project comes online."

"I want to congratulate Graphite One, which has achieved this milestone thanks to funding from the Defense Production Act, something I have been working on relentlessly in the Senate since the project's inception," said Senator Dan Sullivan. "This project has the potential to open up our state's abundant reserves of critical minerals and metals, which would also be very significant for our country's national security. We must end America's dependence on China for critical minerals, like graphite, resources that are necessary for alternative energy and sources and critical defense technologies. Thankfully, President Trump understands our state's great potential, and is determined to help unleash our vast resources and create good paying jobs to Alaskans. Graphite One's FAST-41 status is great news for our state and our country."

"Securing our supply chains for critical minerals is a core priority and requires a whole of government approach." said Alaska Congressman Nick Begich. "Our national security, sovereignty, and continued self-determination require that we take action, and Graphite One is leading the way."

Graphite One's Complete U.S.-Based Supply Chain Strategy

The Project is planned as an integrated business operation to produce lithium-ion battery anode materials and other graphite products for the U.S domestic market on a commercial scale using primarily natural graphite from Alaska. The Project combines the operation of an advanced graphite manufacturing facility to be located in Warren Ohio with the supply of natural flake graphite from the Company's proposed Graphite Creek Mine in Alaska. The resources associated with the Company's Alaska State mining claims were cited by the U.S. Geological Survey in January 2022 as America's largest natural graphite deposit¹, and in 2023, "as among the largest in the world."  This precedes the FS-verified deposit amount increase. The Ohio manufacturing facility received a $325M Letter of Interest from the EXIM Bank in September 2024. 

____________________________

1 https://www.usgs.gov/data/graphite-deposits-united-states

About the Permitting Council and FAST-41

Established in 2015 by Title 41 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41), the Permitting Council is a federal agency charged with improving the transparency and predictability of the federal environmental review and authorization process for certain critical infrastructure projects. The Permitting Council is comprised of the Permitting Council Executive Director, who serves as the Council Chair; 13 federal agency Council members (including deputy secretary-level designees of the Secretaries of Agriculture, Army, Commerce, Interior, Energy, Transportation, Defense, Homeland Security, and Housing and Urban Development, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Chairs of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation); and the Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

The Permitting Council coordinates federal environmental reviews and authorizations for projects that seek and qualify for FAST-41 coverage. FAST-41 covered projects are entitled to comprehensive permitting timetables and transparent, collaborative management of those timetables on the Federal Permitting Dashboard. FAST-41 covered projects may be in the energy production, electricity transmission, energy storage, surface transportation, aviation, ports and waterways, water resource, broadband, pipelines, manufacturing, mining, carbon capture, semiconductors, artificial intelligence and machine learning, high-performance computing and advanced computer hardware and software, quantum information science and technology, data storage and data management, and cybersecurity sectors.

The Permitting Council also serves as a federal center for permitting excellence, supporting federal efforts to improve infrastructure permitting including and beyond FAST-41 covered projects to the extent authorized by law, including activities that promote or provide for the efficient, timely, and predictable completion of environmental reviews and authorizations for federally-authorized infrastructure projects.

Qualified Person 

Jason Todd, with Barr Engineering Co. is the primary qualified person for the Feasibility Study incorporated in the NI 43-101 technical report that is available under the Company's SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca and the Company's website.  Mr. Todd is a Qualified Person as defined under 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical content of this release.

About Graphite One Inc.

GRAPHITE ONE INC. (TSX‐V: GPH; OTCQX: GPHOF) continues to develop its Graphite One Project (the "Project"), with the goal of becoming an American producer of high grade anode materials that is integrated with a domestic graphite resource. The Project is proposed as a vertically integrated enterprise to mine, process and manufacture high grade anode materials primarily for the lithium‐ion electric vehicle battery market. 

On Behalf of the Board of Directors

"Anthony Huston" (signed)

For more information on Graphite One Inc., please visit the Company's website, www.GraphiteOneInc.com

On X @GraphiteOne

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, including those related to the Fast 41 listing and the anticipated impact of the FAST-41 status, any statements related to the planned production of any mineral reserves and resources, the construction of the Warren, Ohio facility, and events or developments that the Company intends, expects, plans, or proposes are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward‐looking information can be identified by the use of forward‐looking terminology such as "proposes", "expects", "is expected", "scheduled", "estimates", "projects", "plans", "is planning", "intends", "assumes", "believes", "indicates", "to be" or variations of such words and phrases that state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". The Company cautions that there is no certainty that the Fast 41 listing will impact the Company as set forth in this press release, that the Graphite Creek Project produces the minerals set out in the FS or that the facility will be built in Warren, Ohio. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continuity of mineralization, uncertainties related to the ability to obtain necessary permits, licenses and title and delays due to third party opposition, changes in government policies regarding mining and natural resource exploration and exploitation, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date it is expressed in this press release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable securities laws. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's continuous disclosure filings that are available at www.sedarplus.ca.

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SOURCE Graphite One Inc.

FAQ

What is the significance of GPHOF's FAST-41 approval for the Graphite Creek project?

GPHOF's Graphite Creek is the first Alaskan mining project to receive FAST-41 status, which streamlines the federal permitting process by providing improved timelines, predictability, and public tracking capabilities.

What are the key financial metrics from Graphite One's 2025 Feasibility Study?

The Feasibility Study shows a post-tax IRR of 27%, NPV of $5.03 billion, and a 7.5-year payback period, with increased production capacity of 175,000 tpy over a 20-year mine life.

How is GPHOF's Graphite Creek project being funded?

The project received a $37.3M Defense Production Act award for the Feasibility Study and a $325M Letter of Interest from EXIM Bank for the Ohio manufacturing facility.

What is Graphite One's complete U.S.-based supply chain strategy?

The strategy combines a natural graphite mine in Alaska with an advanced manufacturing facility in Warren, Ohio, to produce lithium-ion battery anode materials and other graphite products for the U.S. market.

How large is the Graphite Creek deposit compared to other U.S. deposits?

According to the USGS, Graphite Creek is America's largest natural graphite deposit and was recognized in 2023 as among the largest in the world.