Focus Graphite Inc. (TSXV: FMS, OTC: FCSMF, FSE: FKC0) says its Lac Knife graphite project has been included in the investment deal book prepared for the Canada Investment Summit 2026, a two-day event set for September 14-15 in Toronto hosted by Prime Minister Mark Carney in partnership with CPP Investments and PSP Investments.
The company, which develops high-grade flake graphite deposits and graphite materials for battery, defence and industrial markets, said it will attend the summit, which is designed to bring together global investors, Canadian company executives and public-sector representatives around long-term capital opportunities in Canadian assets. According to Focus Graphite, the federal government has framed the summit as part of a broader push to attract roughly C$1 trillion in total investment into Canada over five years, with critical minerals cited as one of the sectors expected to help drive that investment.
Lac Knife, located near Fermont, Québec, and 100% owned by Focus Graphite, is described in the release as one of North America’s highest-grade feasibility-stage natural graphite projects. A 2023 NI 43-101 Feasibility Study Update outlines 9.31 million tonnes of Probable Mineral Reserves grading 14.97% graphitic carbon, supporting a projected 27-year mine life at approximately 50,000 tonnes of graphite concentrate produced annually.
The feasibility study’s base-case economics include C$2.76 billion in projected life-of-mine revenue, C$1.76 billion in pre-tax total cash flow, and a pre-tax net present value of C$500.6 million at an 8% discount rate, with a pre-tax internal rate of return of 29.1% and a payback period of 2.88 years. Estimated pre-production capital is pegged at approximately C$236.9 million. On an after-tax basis, the study estimates a net present value of C$284.8 million, an internal rate of return of 22.6%, a payback period of 3.38 years, and total cash flow of about C$1.08 billion over the life of the project.
The company noted that the project requires processing roughly 365,000 tonnes of ore annually to produce its targeted 50,000 tonnes of concentrate, and that pilot-scale testing tied to the feasibility study produced concentrate grading 98.2% total carbon, with a salable product grade of 97.8% total carbon.
Dean Hanisch, Chief Executive Officer of Focus Graphite, said the summit gives the company a chance to engage directly with institutional and strategic investors, and that Lac Knife’s inclusion in the deal book places the project within that wider investment discussion. Hanisch said the project’s feasibility-stage economics, defined capital needs and government support for critical mineral development position it for further investor and strategic engagement.
Jason Latkowcer, Vice President of Corporate Development at Focus Graphite, said critical mineral security depends on execution and capital formation, adding that Lac Knife has the grade, resource definition and feasibility work in place, and that as permitting, infrastructure and commercial work progress, the project is entering a stage where institutional and strategic capital could help bridge the gap toward becoming an operating asset.
Focus Graphite also pointed to a potential capital advantage tied to Canada’s Clean Technology Manufacturing Investment Tax Credit, which was introduced after the 2023 feasibility study and is therefore not reflected in the project’s published financial estimates. The credit provides a refundable 30% tax credit on the capital cost of eligible property tied to qualifying activities, including graphite extraction and processing, for property acquired from January 1, 2024 and put into use by December 31, 2031. The company said that, for illustrative purposes only, if the full estimated C$236.9 million in initial capital were eligible, the credit could be worth approximately C$71.1 million, which would effectively reduce net capital costs to about C$165.8 million. Focus Graphite stressed this is an illustrative figure only, not an updated cost estimate, and that actual eligibility and value of any credit would depend on how expenditures are classified and timed under applicable tax rules.
The company said it continues to advance Lac Knife through permitting, environmental studies, infrastructure planning, engineering, Indigenous engagement, customer qualification and commercial partnership discussions. It has secured up to C$1.38 million in non-repayable funding through Natural Resources Canada’s First and Last Mile Fund to support road and grid-power planning for the project, and is also drawing on up to C$14.1 million in Natural Resources Canada funding under the Global Partnerships Initiative to support a broader Canadian mine-to-market strategy.
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