Critical Elements completes survey over Nemaska

Mr. Jean-Sebastien Lavallee reports CRITICAL ELEMENTS CONFIRMS NICKEL-COPPER-COBALT-PGE POTENTIAL ON THE NEMASKA BELT PROPERTIES, WITH RESULTS UP TO 2% CU, 0.76% NI, 0.07% CO, 3.38 G/T PT AND 0.62 G/T PD Critical Elements Lithium Corp. has released initial results from the 2025 summer exploration program completed on Critical Elements' 100-per-cent-owned Nemaska belt property group in the Eeyou Istchee region of Quebec. An important helicopter-borne electromagnetic VTEM plus time-domain system survey covering the Nemaska belt properties was designed to provide data incremental to the high-resolution magnetic survey completed in 2021. These data sets aided the exploration team's surface program targeting potentially economic mineralization, including high-grade nickel-copper-platinum-group-element and lithium-bearing spodumene. Interest in high-grade nickel-copper-platinum-group-element mineralization in the region has increased with the exploration success of Power Metallic Mines Inc., formerly Chilean Metals Inc. Critical Elements optioned the Nisk property to Power Metallic in 2020. Following the exercise of the option agreement by Power Metallic on the property hosting the nickel-copper-platinum-group-element Nisk deposit and the new polymetallic Lion discovery, Critical Elements retains a non-dilutive interest of 20 per cent until a definitive feasibility study regarding extraction and production activities is completed on the Nisk property. Critical Elements also held just over 10 million shares of Power Metallic as of May 31, 2025. Mineralized zones During the 2025 summer exploration program, multiple mineralized zones were identified through rock sampling in areas coinciding with electromagnetic anomalies (VTEM conductors). The mineralization is dominated by pyrrhotite and pyrite (iron sulphide) with trace to 3 to 5 per cent chalcopyrite (copper sulphide) and/or pentlandite (iron-nickel sulphide). Surface exploration confirmed historical showings and identified newly prospective areas. In total, 1,091 rock samples and 73 till samples (0.5-kilogram C-horizon) were collected during the summer campaign, of which 452 rock samples assays are still pending. The exploration program was designed to maximize geochemical coverage and assist in defining targets for future drill testing. Of these samples: 25 grab samples grading above 0.1 per cent nickel, with values up to 0.76 per cent nickel; 17 grab samples grading above 0.1 per cent copper, with values up to 2.00 per cent copper; Nine grab samples grading 0.1 gram per tonne or above palladium, with values up to 0.62 g/t palladium; One grab sample assaying 3.38 g/t platinum; Six grab samples grading over 0.025 per cent cobalt, with values up to 0.07 per cent cobalt; 35 grab samples grading above 1.0 g/t silver, with values up to 13.6 g/t silver; Two grab samples assaying 0.32 per cent and 0.22 per cent molybdenum. Grab samples are selective by nature, unlikely to represent average grades, and may not represent true underlying mineralization. Critical Elements' 100-per-cent-owned Nemaska belt properties consist of 1,052 exclusive exploration rights across 10 different property blocks, covering a total of 540 square kilometres. The portfolio spans over 100 km of the Nisk structure and its associated volcanosedimentary belt. This east-northeast-oriented belt features recognized potential for lithium-associated pegmatite dikes and copper, nickel and PGE mineralization associated with ultramafic rocks. The corporation expects to receive final assay results from the 2025 summer exploration program over the next few weeks. All the results from this surface program and previous geophysical surveys will be incorporated to refine its planned 2026 winter drill program. This drill program will test the newly generated high-grade nickel-copper-platinum-group-element and lithium-bearing spodumene drill targets. The program will also seek to expand the mineralized footprint of the Rose West discovery. Rose West lies within the 395-square-kilometre Rose lithium-tantalum and Rose South property blocks, and is located fewer than 10 km west of the corporation's flagship Rose lithium-tantalum project (see press release dated April 22, 2024). As a reminder, the Rose lithium-tantalum project feasibility study, published in August, 2023 (see press release dated Aug. 29, 2023), returned an after-tax net present value discounted at 8 per cent of $2.2-billion (U.S.) and an after-tax internal rate of return of 65.7 per cent. Management continues to be engaged in assembling the financing required to make a final investment decision on the Rose project. These efforts build on the $20-million conditional funding from Natural Resources Canada's Critical Minerals Infrastructure Fund (see press release dated Feb. 6, 2025) and the support letter from a leading Canadian financial institution stating its interest in providing long-term debt financing of up to $115-million (U.S.) (approximately $150-million) of project debt (see press release dated Feb. 10, 2025). Quality assurance/quality control Quality assurance and quality control procedures have been implemented to ensure best practices in sampling and analysis of the samples. Standards and blanks were regularly inserted into the sample stream. The samples were delivered in secure, tagged bags to the ALS Minerals laboratory facility in Val d'Or, Que. The samples are weighed and identified prior to sample preparation. Till samples were dried, sieved to 63 micrometres and analyzed using four-acid digestion (ME-MS61L). Rock samples were crushed to 70 per cent minus two millimetres, then separated and pulverized to 85 per cent passing 75 micrometres. Samples were assayed for a 33-element suite using a four-acid digestion method (ME-ICP61) with reassay of values over 10,000 parts per million for copper using a four-acid digestion and ICP finish (Cu-OG62). Gold, platinum and palladium were analyzed by fire assay with an ICP-AES finish (PGM-ICP-27). Gold was analyzed using fire assay only, when PGE mineralization was not suspected (Au-AA23). Qualified person Francois Gagnon, PGeo, operations director -- Quebec -- for Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd., is the qualified person who has reviewed and approved the data and technical content of this press release on behalf of the corporation. About Critical Elements Lithium Corp. Critical Elements aspires to become a large, responsible supplier of lithium to the flourishing electric vehicle and energy storage system industries. To this end, Critical Elements is advancing the wholly owned, high-purity Rose lithium-tantalum project in Quebec, the corporation's first lithium project to be advanced within a land portfolio of over 1,050 square kilometres. On Aug. 29, 2023, the corporation announced results of a new feasibility study on Rose for the production of spodumene concentrate. The after-tax internal rate of return for the project is estimated at 65.7 per cent, with an estimated after-tax net present value of $2.2-billion (U.S.) at an 8-per-cent discount rate. In the corporation's view, Quebec is strategically well positioned for U.S. and European Union markets, and boasts good infrastructure including a low-cost, low-carbon power grid featuring 94 per cent hydroelectricity. The project has received approval from the Federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change on the recommendation of the Joint Assessment Committee, composed of representatives from the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada and the Cree Nation government, and received the certificate of authorization under the Environment Quality Act from the Quebec Minister of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, and the project mining lease from the Quebec Minister of Natural Resources and Forests under the Quebec Mining Act. We seek Safe Harbor.