Mr. Karl Kottmeier reports

EMP METALS AND SALTWORKS' PROJECT AURORA AWARDED $1 MILLION IN FUNDING FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA'S INTEGRATED MARKETPLACE

EMP Metals Corp. and the company's Project Aurora partner, Saltworks Technologies Inc., have been awarded $1-million in funding through the government of British Columbia's Integrated Marketplace (IM) program, delivered by Innovate BC, as part of its recently announced mining and critical minerals test bed. The IM-supported project will demonstrate next-generation lithium-refining technology as part of Project Aurora.

EMP Metals is the project proponent under the IM framework, with Saltworks participating in the project as the partnering British Columbia-based solutions provider. Saltworks is completing the design and fabrication of the groundbreaking technology in British Columbia, which will be dispatched to EMP Metals' live lithium well in Saskatchewan.

Saltworks was pleased to host Minister Ravi Kahlon and representatives from the government of British Columbia at its Richmond headquarters on Friday, Feb. 27, where the funding announcement for EMP Metals and Project Aurora was formally made. The visit included a tour of Saltworks' innovation and production facilities, where the Project Aurora lithium-refining system is currently being built and commissioned.

The IM project scope includes the design, fabrication and operation of a Generation II lithium-refining demonstration system, along with testing, performance data generation and market assessment. The project is positioned as a mining and critical minerals test bed, intended to validate advanced processing technologies under real operating conditions and support pathways toward commercial deployment.

Sheila Schindel, Innovate BC's managing director, commercialization and IP (intellectual property) programs, said: "B.C. is home to an exciting and growing community of forward-thinking companies developing the next generation of mining technology. Through the Integrated Marketplace's new mining and critical minerals test bed, we're able to reduce risk for organizations like EMP Metals to adopt innovative solutions while supporting innovators like Saltwork Technologies to deploy solutions in real operational environments and position them to scale -- ultimately growing, transforming and strengthening the province's mining sector.

Karl Kottmeier, chief executive officer of EMP Metals, said: "Support from the government of British Columbia's Integrated Marketplace program provides significant validation and financial assistance as EMP Metals accelerates the development of our lithium brine resource. This grant strengthens EMP Metals' ability to advance a made-in-Canada solution that is unlocking the potential of our lithium brine resources. Our partnership with Saltworks Technologies and our Project Aurora is moving our Saskatchewan lithium project to commercial readiness and ultimately enhancing domestic critical minerals capacity, reducing environmental impacts and helping position Canada as a leader in the clean-energy supply chain."

"We thank the minister and Innovate BC's Integrated Marketplace for recognizing the role Project Aurora can play in positioning Canada as a global leader in competitive and sustainable lithium chemicals production. By supporting the commercialization of lithium-refining technology, B.C.'s IM is also strengthening the clean-technology innovation and manufacturing capabilities of British Columbia-based companies like Saltworks," said Ben Sparrow, chief executive officer of Saltworks Technologies.

Saltworks' technology, once deployed, will demonstrate its end-to-end Generation II lithium-refining technology, which offers lower costs, higher purity and higher recovery than conventional technologies.

EMP Metals sincerely thanks its project partner, Saltworks, and Innovate BC's Integrated Marketplace for its support of Project Aurora and the opportunity to demonstrate a fully integrated brine-to-battery-chemicals lithium-refining solution.

About EMP Metals Corp.

EMP is a Canadian-based lithium exploration and development company focused on large-scale resources using direct lithium extraction (DLE). EMP currently holds over 205,000 net acres (83,000 hectares) of subsurface dispositions and strategic wellbores in Southern Saskatchewan.

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