Arianne receives conditional OK for $735,000 grant

Executive Summary

• The Government of Canada conditionally approved a grant of up to C$735,000 for Arianne Phosphate Inc. to advance its purified phosphoric acid (PPA) technology under Natural Resources Canada's Critical Minerals Research, Development and Demonstration (CMRDD) program.
• The funding is part of an C$80.3 million investment announced at the 2025 G7 Leaders' Summit aimed at strengthening Canada’s critical‑minerals supply chain for clean‑technology applications.
• Arianne Phosphate, owner of the Lac à Paul phosphate project (the world’s largest greenfield phosphate deposit), will use the grant to accelerate development of a downstream facility that converts high‑purity phosphate concentrate into high‑grade PPA, a key feedstock for lithium‑iron‑phosphate (LFP) batteries.

Key Details

• Grant Amount: Up to C$735,000 (conditional on final due‑diligence).
• Program: Natural Resources Canada – Critical Minerals Research, Development and Demonstration (CMRDD).
• Strategic Context: The grant is included in a broader C$80.3 million federal commitment announced by Prime Minister Carney at the 2025 G7 Summit to build reliable critical‑minerals supply chains in Canada.
• Project Impact: Funding will support Arianne’s work on purified phosphoric acid (PPA), positioning the company to become a dominant supplier for LFP battery manufacturers and reducing reliance on Chinese imports (which currently hold >95 % of global LFP market share).
• Company Background:
• Owner of Lac à Paul phosphate project in Quebec – fully permitted, “shovel‑ready” deposit with igneous apatite concentrate grading 39 % P₂O₅.
• Spent US$100 million over the past 15 years on development; 213,714,811 shares outstanding.
• Operational Milestones:
• Prefeasibility study (summer 2024) indicated feasibility of downstream PPA conversion facility.
• The grant will help fund engineering, pilot‑scale testing, and early‑stage construction of the PPA plant.
• Quotes:
• “The receipt of this funding will be significant in our efforts to advance our work surrounding the transformation of our phosphate into PPA,” – Raphael Gaudreault, COO.
• “This grant will help move forward the development of our Lac à Paul project to the benefit of the country, our stakeholders and our shareholders,” – Marco Gagnon, Executive Chairman.

Notable Quotes

• Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources: “By investing in projects like Arianne Phosphate’s technology centre, we are strengthening Canada’s leadership in critical minerals and building a cleaner, more secure future.”
• Claude Guay, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister: “This investment highlights Canada’s commitment to securing a reliable and sustainable supply of critical minerals essential for clean energy generation and storage.”