NexGen Carbon Solutions’ Point Source Capture Project (the “Vanguard CCS Hub”) Achieves an “A_e” Ex Ante Rating from BeZero Carbon

NexGen Carbon Solutions, LLC Update | February 16, 2026

NexGen Carbon Solutions, LLC (“NexGen”) is pleased to announce that its Vanguard CCS Hub project received an exceptional A_pre ex ante rating from BeZero Carbon, the global leader in carbon credit ratings, underscoring the high integrity of its carbon dioxide credits.

An A_pre rating is comparable to the highest quartile of equivalently rated ex post industrial projects. More specifically, BeZero Carbon’s A_pre represents an assessment that a carbon credit from the Vanguard CCS Hub is in the category of credits that has the likelihood of achieving a metric ton or more of CO₂ avoidance once the facility begins capturing and storing CO₂. Once it becomes fully operation, the Vanguard CCS Hub is projected to be one of the largest point source capture (PSC) facilities in North America.

“We are very excited to earn one of the highest carbon credit ratings. Independent ratings play a quintessential role in advancing the carbon avoidance market and provide additional confidence in PSC technology, transportation and permanent geological storage of CO₂ to help organizations achieve their sustainability goals in a measurable and verifiable way,” said Stephen Brunner, CEO of NexGen. “The A_pre rating for Vanguard recognizes the durability of our credits in delivering high integrity carbon avoidance.”

About BeZero Carbon:

BeZero Carbon is a leading, independent global ratings agency for the Voluntary Carbon Market, providing ratings, risk tools, and research to help organizations, investors, and developers navigate carbon projects. By the end of 2025, BeZero Carbon had rated 657 projects. Founded in 2020, they utilize a team of 180+ experts to evaluate the quality of credits using an eight-point scale (“AAA” to “D”) based on scientific, data-driven analysis of additionality, carbon accounting, permanence, and other risks. BeZero Carbon offers a suite of tools designed to assess the quality and risk of carbon projects throughout their lifecycle:

• BeZero Carbon Rating: An eight-point alphabetical scale ranging from AAA (highest likelihood) to D (lowest likelihood) that represents the company's opinion on the probability that a carbon credit will achieve its promise of avoiding or removing one metric ton of CO₂e.
• BeZero Carbon Markets Platform: An online intelligence platform providing detailed project-level analysis, risk analytics, and market intelligence for over 480 carbon credit projects.
• BeZero Carbon Portfolio Rating: A specialized methodology for assessing the risk associated with entire portfolios of carbon credits.
• Ex Ante Ratings: Pre-issuance ratings that help investors mitigate risks when funding early-stage carbon projects.

www.bezerocarbon.com