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CHARBONE and Vema Hydrogen Build Quebec Hydrogen Supply Chain to Meet Wellhead-to-Industrial Gas Demand and Reduce Transport Costs



Charbone Hydrogen Corporation

New agreement anchors a scalable hydrogen supply chain in one of North America’s fastest-growing energy hubs

Brossard, Quebec – TheNewswire - May 19, 2026 – CHARBONE CORPORATION (TSXV: CH; OTCQB: CHHYF; FSE: K47) (“CHARBONE” or the “Company”), a vertically integrated industrial gases company focused on production, distribution and storage of clean ultra-high purity (“UHP”) hydrogen and other strategic industrial gases, today announced a Conditional Offtake and Infrastructure Development Agreement (Agreement) with Vema Hydrogen (“Vema”)  to develop a new hydrogen production and processing project in Québec. The site adds a valuable new resource for the region’s merchant industrial gas customers and strengthens the broader supply chain. The Agreement pairs Vema's Engineered Mineral Hydrogen (EMH) production with CHARBONE's purification, compression, and distribution capabilities to serve growing demand from CHARBONE's industrial merchant hydrogen customer base up to 15 tons per day.

 

Leveraging Québec’s position as a regional hydrogen hub, the partnership sets the framework for a "well-to-market" supply chain in the region. The province’s concentrated industrial demand and proximity to key transportation networks minimize long-distance fuel transport and reduce overall system costs, making it a highly efficient geography for hydrogen production and distribution. The project's design allows Vema to expand into emerging markets including low-carbon maritime and aviation fuel manufacturing, e-fuels, and power generation, where CHARBONE’s purification and distribution capabilities could integrate into multiple parts of the value chain.

“The market is demanding high-value industrial gases and our customers need cleaner, more reliable supply. By pairing Vema’s EMH feedstock with our purification and distribution capabilities, we’re strengthening Québec’s position as a regional hub for next-generation hydrogen,” said Dave Gagnon, President and CEO of CHARBONE.

 

On the heels of completing drilling and initiating pilot operations in Québec by Vema, the Agreement represents the latest milestone in Vema’s accelerating commercial progress. It broadens the Company’s offtake pipeline into industrial gas distribution, e-fuels, and clean mobility as Vema positions its technology for initial market deployment.

“Across high-value markets - from aviation and maritime fuels to industrial gases, there is incredible demand for Vema’s low-carbon Engineered Mineral Hydrogen. Now, more than ever, we need a pathway to deliver these low-carbon fuels,” said Pierre Levin, CEO of Vema. “As a valued offtaker and partner, CHARBONE’s established logistics networks provide the infrastructure and pathway to meet the immediate market demand for industrial customers across North America.

 

About CHARBONE CORPORATION

CHARBONE is a vertically integrated industrial gases company focused on developing and operating a network of regional supply hubs for the production, storage, and distribution of Ultra-High Purity (UHP) strategic industrial gases. The Company serves customers across sectors including semiconductors, artificial intelligence and data centers, advanced pharmaceuticals, and aerospace and defense technologies, where UHP gases are critical for high-precision manufacturing processes and operational performance. CHARBONE is advancing a network of clean UHP hydrogen production plants across North America and select international markets. The Company’s modular, decentralized, and demand-driven approach, combined with its integrated storage and distribution platform for all UHP gases, supports scalable growth, enhances operational flexibility, and enables more stable and diversified revenue generation. This model allows CHARBONE to efficiently serve mid-tier industrial gas customers with a reliable supply of UHP gases, including hydrogen, helium, oxygen, and other high-demand gases that are often difficult to source. The Company is committed to supporting the global transition to a lower-carbon economy by providing accessible, decentralized clean hydrogen and specialty gases, while addressing supply gaps for underserved industrial customers and accelerating the shift towards localized clean energy. CHARBONE is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: CH), the OTC Markets (OTCQB: CHHYF), and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE: K47). For more information, please visit: www.charbone.com.

About Vema Hydrogen

Vema Hydrogen is a producer of low-carbon hydrogen, offering a new path to a clean energy future. The company's unique technology, Engineered Mineral Hydrogen, harnesses naturally occurring chemical reactions below the Earth's surface to produce high-purity hydrogen. By applying geoscience to de-risk production and ensure predictable, cost-competitive output, Vema makes clean hydrogen a viable solution for large-scale industrial energy and baseload power needs. More https://www.vema.earth/.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains statements that are “forward-looking information” as defined under Canadian securities laws (“forward-looking statements”). These forward-looking statements are often identified by words such as “intends”, “anticipates”, “expects”, “believes”, “plans”, “likely”, or similar words. The forward-looking statements reflect management's expectations, estimates, or projections concerning future results or events, based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates considered reasonable by management at the date the statements are made. Although Charbone believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements, as unknown or unpredictable factors could cause actual results to be materially different from those reflected in the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements may be affected by risks and uncertainties in the business of Charbone. These risks, uncertainties and assumptions include, but are not limited to, those described under “Risk Factors” in the Corporation’s Filing Statement dated March 31, 2022, which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com; they could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements.

Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Charbone undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

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

 

Contact Charbone Corporation

Telephone: +1 450 678 7171

Email: ir@charbone.com

Benoit Veilleux

CFO and Corporate Secretary