April 23, 2018

eCobalt Ramps Up Pre-construction Activities At The Idaho Cobalt Project

VANCOUVER, April 23, 2018 /CNW/ - eCobalt Solutions Inc. (“eCobalt” or “the Company”) (TSX: ECS, OTCQX: ECSIF) is pleased to provide an update on progress made at its 100% owned Idaho Cobalt Project (“ICP”) located near the town of Salmon, in the heart of the Idaho Cobalt Belt. The ICP remains the sole, near term primary cobalt deposit in the United States.

“As we prepare for underground mine development, capital raised from our recent financing is being deployed on pre-construction activities as planned,” stated Paul Farquharson, President & CEO of eCobalt. “Delivery of the water treatment plant components has commenced, and we have awarded contracts to construct the plant starting in May. This fulfills an integral part of our approved Plan of Operations, and our commitment to sustainable water management at the ICP for the long-term benefit of the region, the environment and the communities in which we operate.”

The water treatment plant, designed and supplied by Veolia Water Technologies, Inc. (“Veolia”), will treat water from the underground mine and runoff from the dry stacked tailings facility prior to discharge in accordance with the ICP’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (“NPDES”) permit. The water treatment plant utilizes advanced treatment processes for metals and nitrogen removal in a compact footprint. Water discharged will meet all of the requirements of the permit and will help protect water quality in the basin. Engineering of the water treatment plant is complete with components en route to the ICP in preparation for commencement of construction.

Additional progress highlights at the ICP include:

• Construction contracts have been awarded for the water management ponds; building pads for the concentrator, mill and water treatment plant; QA/QC for all earth work and concrete; fuel island; gravel haul; and potable water wells.
• Engineering for the roaster design in the optimized feasibility study is progressing based on data gained from pilot tests being conducted with Dundee Sustainable Technologies.
• Additional surface construction support equipment is being delivered to the site.
• Transition from Pre-Construction environmental monitoring to the Operational Monitoring schedule has begun.

To transition the ICP to construction and prepare for operations, environmental systems, warehouse expansion and health and safety plans are being updated, as well as hiring for several integral roles, including mine manager, superintendents and metallurgists. Over the course of the coming weeks, pre-construction activities will continue to progress in preparation for full construction ramp up in the summer of 2018.

About eCobalt Solutions Inc.
eCobalt is a well-established Toronto Stock Exchange listed company committed to providing clean cobalt products essential for the rapidly growing rechargeable battery and renewable energy sectors, made safely, responsibly, and transparently in the United States. The Company’s Idaho Cobalt Project, located in East Central Idaho, is the only environmentally permitted, primary cobalt project in the United States. It is 100% owned by the Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Formation Capital Corporation, U.S.

For more information visit www.eCobalt.com.

Cautionary Statement on Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Statements in this news release pertaining to expected financings, filings, uses of proceeds or project completion dates are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results, performance or achievement. These risks, uncertainties and factors include general business, economic, competitive, political, regulatory and social uncertainties; actual results of exploration activities and economic evaluations; fluctuations in currency exchange rates; changes in project parameters; changes in costs, including labour, infrastructure, operating and production costs; future prices of cobalt; variations of mineral grade or recovery rates; operating or technical difficulties in connection with exploration, development or mining activities, including the failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; delays in completion of exploration, development or construction activities; changes in government legislation and regulation; the ability to maintain and renew existing licenses and permits or obtain required licenses and permits in a timely manner; the ability to obtain financing on acceptable terms in a timely manner; contests over title to properties; employee relations and shortages of skilled personnel and contractors; the speculative nature of, and the risks involved in, the exploration, development and mining business.

Such projections are and will inevitably always be dependent on assumptions about future mineral prices and development costs which will be subject to fluctuation due to global and local economic and industry conditions. Further information regarding risks and uncertainties which may cause results to differ from those contained in forward-looking statements is included in filings by the Company with securities regulatory authorities and is available at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Although the Company has disclosed that the ICP remains the sole, near term, environmentally permitted, primary cobalt deposit in the United States and offers a unique potential for North American consumers to secure an ethically sourced, environmentally sound supply of clean cobalt products, there is no guarantee that the Company will attain commercial production of such cobalt products for use in the rechargeable battery sector. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that are contained herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

The statements contained in this news release in regard to eCobalt that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including eCobalt’s beliefs, expectations, hopes or intentions regarding the future. All forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and are based on information available to eCobalt as of such date. It is important to note that actual outcome and the actual results could differ from those in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include risks and uncertainties such as technological, legislative, corporate, commodity price and marketplace changes.

SOURCE eCobalt Solutions Inc.