TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / March 17, 2022 / Gratomic Inc. ("Gratomic", "GRAT," or "the Company") (TSXV:GRAT)(OTCQX:CBULF)(FSE:CB82) discloses operational readiness update on its Aukam Processing Plant in Namibia. Armando Farhate COO & Head of Graphite Marketing and Sales and Karl Trudeau Head of Operations, Namibia, will travel to Aukam to oversee the finalization process of the Company's Operational Readiness Plan.

Mr. Trudeau will arrive Sunday in Namibia, with Mr. Farhate to follow a few days later.

Further to the press release dated January 26, 2022, HERE, Operational Readiness (OR) is the capability to efficiently deploy, operate, and maintain the systems and procedures required on the Company's Aukam Graphite Processing Plant. The main purpose of OR is to reduce operational risks, which is defined as "the risk of loss resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes, people and systems or from external events." The previously announced tentative schedule has been reviewed and adjusted to accommodate the specific requirements for the precise completion of the plant's commissioning and effective launch of its operational readiness plan.

Entire front end of the plant has been commissioned and is now operational ready. The crushing and screen circuit was initially designed to accommodate 12 tonnes per hour (tph) however, operational trials demonstrate that it will easily accommodate up to 30 tph of graphite mineral throughput at 75 mm feed size. The rod mill is mechanically completed and ready for next steps. The work continues on the remaining plant components in preparation for the Company's goal of product in bag, (PIB).

Key components of the plant that are operational ready:

• Static grizzly
• Run of Mine (RoM) tip bin
• Vibrating feeder
• Conveyor 1
• Impact Crusher
• Conveyor 2
• Vibrating Screen
• Oversize conveyor 2 & 3
• Undersize conveyor 5
• Fine ore bin
• Vibrating feeder
• Mill feed conveyor 6

Components that are mechanically and electrically completed:

• Rod mill
• Material thickener
• Product thickener
• Product filter press
• Conveyor 7 & 8
• Rotary drier

Infrastructure Update:

In addition to progress on the plant, the team at Aukam has made great strides on the infrastructure onsite. The electrical team has completed installation of outdoor lighting, giving Aukam the capability of performing 24-hour operations upon achievement of operational status at 51% of total output capacity on the initial 20,000 tpa.

The lab, offices, cloakrooms, and residences experience steady progress and are anticipated to see completion in the coming weeks. Safety rails and electrical cages have all been installed and water and sewage systems have been installed in all facilities. The sewage system has been connected to a sewage station, ensuring that all wastewaters will be properly treated before returning to the environment

The Run of Mine (ROM) pad has been completed next to the grizzly, and the historical stockpiles have been moved there.

Road construction continues on the Aukam mountain, and the platform at its top is completed. This will be used in the continuation of the ongoing infill-drill program. Airborne geophysics surveys are currently underway to identify additional drill targets beyond current mining license on existing exploration prospecting license, (EPL).

In addition to this operational update, it is important to highlight that graphite prices have been steadily increasing, with price appreciations between 15% and 29% in the last 6 months. Based on that, the Company has decided to base all its negotiations for future supply on a spot basis.

About Gratomic

Gratomic is a multinational company with projects in Namibia, Brazil, and Canada. The Company is focused on becoming a leading global graphite supplier and aims to secure a strong position in the electric vehicle (EV) battery supply chain. With the continued development of its flagship Aukam project and further exploration on the Company's Capim Grosso property, Gratomic sets itself apart by seeking out unique top-quality assets around the world. True to its roots, the Company will continue to explore graphite opportunities displaying potential for development. The Company ranked third place in the top 10 preforming mining stocks on the 2022 TSX Venture 50™.

Large quantities of high-quality vein graphite have been shipped for testing to confirm its viability as an anode material. Gratomic is confident that the test results will provide a unique competitive advantage in its desired target markets. The Company will continue to update the public on the status of these tests and will provide results as soon as they become available.

The Company has formed a collaboration agreement with Forge Nano. With its patented Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) coating, this cooperation with Forge Nano is a key element to support Gratomic's strategies towards the value-added phases of production of graphite for anode applications, namely micronization, spheronization and coating, making Gratomic graphite a preferred choice for use in lithium-ion batteries.

For more information: visit the website at www.gratomic.ca or contact:

Arno Brand at abrand@gratomic.ca or (416) 561- 4095

Subscribe at gratomic.ca/contact/ to be added to our email list.

For Marketing and Media information, please email: info@gratomic.ca

"Neither 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."

Forward Looking Statements:

This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com)

SOURCE: Gratomic Inc.