QIMC Accelerates Hydrogen-AI Strategy as Industry Activity Intensifies Along Nova Scotia Hydrogen Corridor

Rhea-AI Summary

Quebec Innovative Materials (OTCQB: QIMCF) said it is accelerating a hydrogen-AI strategy in Nova Scotia as industry staking intensifies along the province's emerging natural hydrogen corridor.

The company cites recent intense claim staking by major players, including Koloma, and notes Rio Tinto acquired more than 5,000 mining claims adjacent to QIMC holdings. QIMC says it retains control of key fault-oriented areas and hydrogen chimneys that enable vertical migration pathways.

QIMC activated an AI and Energy Integration Steering Committee to advance feasibility, partner talks and frameworks for fully off-grid, modular hydrogen-powered AI data centers in Nova Scotia.

Positive

• Rio Tinto acquired >5,000 mining claims adjacent to QIMC properties
• Activated AI and Energy Integration Steering Committee to advance deployment

Negative

• Intense claim staking by major players increases competition for acreage
• Key activity by global resource firms may pressure access to premium targets

News Market Reaction

+2.75%

1 alert

+2.75% News Effect

On the day this news was published, QIMCF gained 2.75%, reflecting a moderate positive market reaction.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus on the day of publication.

Key Figures

Rio Tinto claims: more than 5,000 mining claims Phase 1 drilling: more than 5,000 metres Sila shares: 6,000,000 shares (C$0.20 deemed) +5 more

8 metrics

Rio Tinto claims more than 5,000 mining claims New claims adjacent to QIMC properties in Nova Scotia corridor

Phase 1 drilling more than 5,000 metres Winter natural hydrogen drilling program in Nova Scotia

Sila shares 6,000,000 shares (C$0.20 deemed) Consideration for River Valley Silica project sale

Cash component up to C$500,000 Additional consideration in River Valley Silica transaction

Royalty 2% gross-sales royalty Ongoing interest in River Valley Silica project

Minnesota RGRAs area 72 square miles Two Restricted Geophysical Research Areas in St. Louis County

New adjacent claims over 6,700 new claims Staking rush near QIMC’s Nova Scotia land position

RSUs granted 1.75 million RSUs Equity incentives to directors, officers, and consultants

Market Reality Check

Price: $0.5675 Vol: Volume 12,119 versus 20-d...

low vol

$0.5675 Last Close

Volume Volume 12,119 versus 20-day average 101,273 (0.12x) shows subdued trading ahead of this AI-hydrogen update. low

Technical Shares at 0.36008 were trading above the 200-day MA of 0.18 before this announcement.

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Dec 03 (Positive)

Pattern 5 events

Date	Event	Sentiment	Move	Catalyst
Dec 03	Drilling expansion	Positive	-1.7%	Expanded Phase 1 winter hydrogen drilling and silica asset sale agreement.
Nov 26	Licensing/permits	Positive	+13.6%	Award of two Minnesota RGRAs to advance natural hydrogen exploration.
Nov 24	Exploration update	Positive	+7.3%	Nova Scotia staking rush and preparation for winter drilling in Advocate.
Nov 12	Drilling program	Positive	+10.4%	Announcement of winter drilling supported by high hydrogen and radon data.
Nov 06	AI strategy/board	Positive	+1.3%	Creation of AI Data Center Advisory Board and strategy presentation plans.

Pattern Detected

Recent operational and strategic releases have more often been followed by positive price reactions than negative ones.

Recent Company History

Over the last several weeks, QIMC has reported a series of natural hydrogen and AI-related milestones. These include winter drilling plans in Nova Scotia with strong hydrogen and radon-thoron readings, an expanded Phase 1 drilling program to over 5,000 metres, and Minnesota RGRAs covering roughly 72 square miles. The company also formed an AI Data Center Strategic Advisory Board and advanced divestment of its River Valley Silica project. Today’s AI-tagged update extends this strategy by accelerating vertically integrated, hydrogen-powered compute infrastructure in Nova Scotia.

Market Pulse Summary

This announcement reinforces QIMC’s strategy of coupling natural hydrogen systems with off-grid AI c...

Analysis

This announcement reinforces QIMC’s strategy of coupling natural hydrogen systems with off-grid AI computing. The company highlights structurally validated “hydrogen chimneys,” targeted claims near major industry staking, and a steering committee focused on site selection and hydrogen-to-power pathways. Recent history shows multiple drilling, data, and AI governance milestones. Investors may watch upcoming drilling progress, completion of asset sales, and concrete partner agreements around modular hydrogen-powered data centers as key validation points.

Key Terms

soil gas, hydrogen chimneys, hydrogen-to-power conversion, baseload operation, +3 more

7 terms

soil gas technical

"derived from geophysical data, soil gas measurements, field observations"

Soil gas is the mixture of gases that occupy the tiny air spaces within soil, like the air trapped in a sponge. It can include natural gases such as methane or radon and chemicals from leaking underground storage, industrial spills, or biodegradation. For investors, soil gas matters because abnormal levels can signal contamination, trigger cleanup orders, reduce property value, delay deals, or create regulatory and liability costs that affect a company’s finances.

hydrogen chimneys technical

"including vertical migration pathways commonly referred to as "hydrogen chimneys.""

Hydrogen chimneys are vertical or column-like zones in the subsurface where molecular hydrogen naturally concentrates and moves upward through permeable rock or fault pathways, like a hidden chimney carrying gas from deep underground toward the surface. For investors, they matter because they can signal accessible natural hydrogen deposits that may be tapped as a low-carbon energy resource, reducing extraction difficulty and exploration risk compared with diffuse sources.

hydrogen-to-power conversion technical

"Evaluating hydrogen-to-power conversion pathways suitable for baseload operation;"

Hydrogen-to-power conversion is the process of turning hydrogen gas into usable electricity or mechanical energy, typically by feeding it into fuel cells or burning it in turbines. Think of hydrogen as a portable fuel that can either run a battery-like device (fuel cell) or be burned like natural gas; for investors it matters because this technology can lower emissions, change fuel supply chains, and require different infrastructure and capital spending, all of which affect costs, regulatory risk, and long-term returns.

baseload operation technical

"Evaluating hydrogen-to-power conversion pathways suitable for baseload operation;"

Baseload operation describes power generation or facility activity that runs continuously to meet the minimum ongoing demand rather than varying with short-term peaks. Think of it like a building’s heating system that must stay on at a steady level to prevent pipes freezing. For investors, steady baseload operations mean predictable revenue, higher asset utilization and lower per-unit costs, but also less flexibility to respond to sudden market changes.

off-grid architecture technical

"Advancing fully off-grid architecture principles to avoid competition with local"

Off-grid architecture describes buildings designed to operate independently from public utilities for power, water, sewage and sometimes communications, using on-site systems like solar panels, batteries, rainwater capture and composting toilets. For investors it signals potential cost savings, resilience and niche market demand — similar to a self-sufficient farm vs a house on a shared irrigation system — but may require higher upfront capital, specialized maintenance and different regulatory considerations.

cloud infrastructure technical

"dialogue with North American partners in the cloud infrastructure and AI-computing"

Cloud infrastructure is the network of remote servers, storage, networking and basic software that companies rent over the internet instead of owning their own physical data centers — like using a utility grid or renting a fully equipped office rather than buying a building and furniture. Investors care because it changes how a company spends money, scales operations, launches products and manages risk: it can lower upfront costs, speed growth, concentrate vendor or outage risk, and influence recurring revenue and margins.

AI-computing technical

"partners in the cloud infrastructure and AI-computing sectors."

AI-computing is the specialized combination of hardware, software and services used to run artificial intelligence models, including high-performance processors, large memory and storage, and optimized system code. It matters to investors because access to faster, cheaper and more scalable AI-computing determines how quickly a company can develop, deploy and profit from AI products; think of it like a more powerful engine that lets a business carry heavier workloads and reach customers faster, affecting costs, revenue potential and competitive edge.

AI-generated analysis. Not financial advice.

Montreal, Quebec--(Newsfile Corp. - December 11, 2025) - Quebec Innovative Materials Corp (CSE: QIMC) (OTCQB: QIMCF) (FSE: 7FJ) ("QIMC" or the "Company") announces an acceleration of its hydrogen-AI strategy in Nova Scotia amid unprecedented industry staking activity along the province's emerging natural hydrogen corridor.

In recent weeks, QIMC has seen intense claim staking by major players, including Koloma, a leading natural hydrogen developer based in Denver, Colorado, as well as several global resource companies. This momentum includes Rio Tinto's recent acquisition of more than 5,000 new mining claims in areas adjacent to the Company's properties. This rapid expansion validates the growing recognition by global resource and energy leaders of the natural hydrogen potential of the Nova Scotia basin.

While some players focus on accumulating large acreage, QIMC's scientific and data-driven approach is highly targeted and based on structurally validated hydrogen systems derived from geophysical data, soil gas measurements, field observations, and scientific collaborations. The Company retains control of key fault-oriented and structurally connected areas, including vertical migration pathways commonly referred to as "hydrogen chimneys."

These chimneys represent deeply rooted structural conduits that allow hydrogen generated at depth to migrate to the surface through fault intersections and fractured corridors. Management believes these features are fundamental to accumulation and repeated degassing, giving QIMC a distinct strategic advantage over simple large land holdings.

"The scale and pace of recent staking activity confirms that Nova Scotia is establishing itself as a global hub for natural hydrogen," said John Karagiannidis, President and CEO of QIMC. "Our strength lies not only in our strategic district-scale land package, but in our ability to identify and secure the most structurally critical corridors and vertical migration chimneys within this system at an early stage."

Acceleration of Hydrogen-AI Strategy

In response to this market momentum and the growing demand for clean, sovereign energy solutions, QIMC is accelerating its vertical integration initiative. This strategy aims to deploy a fully off-grid artificial intelligence (AI) data center infrastructure powered directly by natural hydrogen.

The Company has expanded and activated its AI and Energy Integration Steering Committee, responsible for advancing feasibility work, negotiating partner commitments, and establishing execution frameworks for the deployment of modular hydrogen-powered computing infrastructure in Nova Scotia.

The Committee's mandate includes:

• Defining site-selection criteria, including proximity to structural hydrogen stacks;
• Evaluating hydrogen-to-power conversion pathways suitable for baseload operation;
• Advancing fully off-grid architecture principles to avoid competition with local electricity demand;
• Supporting structured dialogue with North American partners in the cloud infrastructure and AI-computing sectors.

"The convergence of natural hydrogen systems and compute infrastructure enables a fundamentally new energy-to-application model," added Karagiannidis. "As competition for clean energy and compute accelerates, QIMC is moving decisively from exploration toward application-driven development and extraction."

About Québec Innovative Materials Corp. (QIMC)

Quebec Innovative Materials Corp. (CSE: QIMC) (OTCQB: QIMCF) (FSE: 7FJ) is a mineral exploration and development company dedicated to exploring and harnessing the potential of North America's abundant resources. With properties in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Minnesota (US), QIMC is focused on specializing in the exploration of white (natural) hydrogen and high-grade silica deposits.

QIMC is committed to sustainable practices and innovation. With a focus on environmental stewardship and cutting-edge extraction technology, the Company aims to unlock the full potential of these materials to drive forward clean energy solutions to power the AI and carbon-neutral economy and contribute to a more sustainable future.

For more information please contact:

QUÉBEC INNOVATIVE MATERIALS CORP.
John Karagiannidis
Chief Executive Officer

Email: info@qimaterials.com
Tel: +1 514-726-7058

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the CSE policies) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.

Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking statements". Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause Québec Innovative Materials' actual results, performance or achievements, or developments in the industry to differ materially from the anticipated results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects," "plans," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "projects," "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will," "would," "may," "could" or "should" occur.

Although Québec Innovative Materials believes the forward-looking information contained in this news release is reasonable based on information available on the date hereof, by their nature, forward-looking statements involve assumptions, known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Examples of such assumptions, risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, assumptions, risks and uncertainties associated with general economic conditions in Canada and abroad; adverse industry events; future legislative and regulatory developments in the natural resources sector, in particular as regards the regulation of white (natural) hydrogen exploration, development and exploitation; the Company's ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, and/or inability to access sufficient capital on favorable terms; natural resources industry and markets in Canada and generally; the ability of Québec Innovative Materials to implement its business strategies; competition; and other assumptions, risks and uncertainties.

The forward-looking information contained in this news release represents the expectations of the Company as of the date of this news release and, accordingly, is subject to change after such date. Readers should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. While the Company may elect to, it does not undertake to update this information at any particular time except as required in accordance with applicable laws.

Cautionary Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These statements are based on expectations, estimates, and projections as of the date of this release. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements, as no assurance can be provided regarding future outcomes.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/277702

FAQ

What did QIMCF announce on December 11, 2025 about Nova Scotia?

QIMCF announced it is accelerating a hydrogen-AI strategy and expanding work in Nova Scotia amid intensified industry claim staking.

How many mining claims did Rio Tinto acquire near QIMCF holdings?

The announcement states Rio Tinto acquired more than 5,000 mining claims adjacent to the company's properties.

What is QIMCF’s Hydrogen-AI plan for compute infrastructure?

QIMCF plans modular, fully off-grid AI data centers powered directly by natural hydrogen and is advancing feasibility and partner commitments.

What is the role of QIMCF’s AI and Energy Integration Steering Committee?

The Committee will define site criteria, evaluate hydrogen-to-power pathways, design off-grid architecture, and negotiate partner commitments.

How does QIMCF claim its land strategy differs from other stakers?

QIMCF says its approach is targeted and scientific, focusing on structurally validated hydrogen systems and vertical migration 'hydrogen chimneys.'