EU Battery Alliance Delivers Strategic Plan to Develop Large Scale Lithium Ion Battery Industry in Europe

Leading Edge Materials Corp. (“Leading Edge Materials”) or (“the Company”) (TSXV:LEM) (OTCQB: LEMIF) (Nasdaq First North: LEMSE) is pleased to share the major priority recommendations of the EU Battery Alliance, which were delivered in Brussels on Friday 23rd February as part of the EU Industry Days. The EU Battery Alliance was established by Vice-President for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovic on October the 11th 2017 following a high-level meeting with Europe’s leading industrial companies.

Leading Edge Materials is proud to be an active raw material industry representative within the EU Battery Alliance, which is comprised of more than 50 of Europe’s strongest corporate voices within the emerging lithium ion battery sector, plus numerous support and government agencies. Leading Edge Materials is the only potential supplier of natural graphite anode material within the Alliance, which allowed the Company’s voice to be clearly heard with regard to the sustainable supply of European raw materials.

The EU Battery Alliance was formed in response to the recognition that despite world-leading fundamental research and a broad customer base particularly in the automotive industry, Europe is not playing a significant role in the industrial production of lithium ion batteries. European Commission research estimates that by 2025, the European battery market will have an annual value in the order of €250 billion, reflecting approximately 200 GWh of energy storage capacity per year, an industry too large to be left to global competitors.

The EU Battery Alliance was directed to identify a strategic plan to accelerate the installation of large-scale battery cell production capabilities in Europe. Discussions were focused on creating competitiveness throughout the entire European battery value chain, while increasing the sustainability of the industry through responsible and where possible local sourcing. A collaborative approach is viewed as an essential precursor, with skills drawn from European mining, chemical, energy, manufacturing and automotive industries.

“Our objective for the Alliance is simple, but the challenge is immense. We want, almost from scratch, to create a competitive and sustainable, battery cell manufacturing in Europe supported by a full EU-based value chain.”

– Maroš Šefčovic at Industry Days Forum, February 23rd 2018

A number of priority actions were identified by the EU Battery Alliance, including:

• Invest in R&D and pilot plants to take the technology lead in primary and secondary raw materials processing;
• Build European alliances between industries from different parts of the value chain and politics to boost mining and intermediate product production in EU;
• Define cell manufacturing as a strategic industry;
• Implement same compliance rules to foreign battery products imported to Europe as applied to European products;
• Define and implement certification/labelling of batteries made in Europe. Use the declaration as a tool in trade agreements and tax treatment with non-EU battery providers;

InnoEnergy has published a short introduction to the work completed to date:
https://europa.eu/rapid/attachment/SPEECH-18-1168/en/EBA%20presentation%2023%20Feb%202018.pdf

Leading Edge Materials is committed to pursue any opportunities that might arise from this alliance in order to become a supplier in a competitive and sustainable fully EU-based value chain.

On behalf of the Board,

“Blair Way”
Blair Way, President & CEO

About Leading Edge Materials

Leading Edge Materials was formed with our sights firmly focused on the material demands of a once-in-a-generation revolution, as the world shifts to the efficient production, storage and preservation of low carbon energy. From the lithium batteries in our electric vehicles to our ability to generate energy from the sun, wind and waves LEM is focused on the green energy markets. With a focus on Europe and assets in innovation-rich Scandinavia, Leading Edge Materials is ideally placed to play a pivotal role in the sustainable supply of critical technology materials. Remium Nordic AB is the Company’s Certified Adviser (“CA”) as part of the listing requirements for Nasdaq First North.

Important information

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

Forward-Looking Information. This news release may contain forward-looking statements and information based on current expectations. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Such statements include but are not limited to, unexpected geological conditions; the Company’s expectations regarding exploration activities to advance critical material projects for energy storage markets, delays in obtaining or failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals from government authorities. Although such statements are based on management’s reasonable assumptions, there are risk factors which could cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. All forward-looking information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as required by law.

SOURCE Leading Edge Materials

Click here to connect with Leading Edge Materials Corp. (TSXV:LEM) (OTCQB:LEMIF) and receive an Investors Presentation.