27 Mar '13
MickTKipper
RE: SOLID RESULTS...
160.00
No Opinion
Oxford Catalysts plans waste-fed factory By Peter Marsh A new manufacturing era, in which small plants produce oil and plastics from waste materials, is about to dawn in the UK, according to Oxford Catalysts, the chemicals technology group. In announcing the company’s 2012 results, chief executive Roy Lipski said he hoped to finalise at least one contract for the building of a $250m “commercial-sized” plant – capable of making up to 120,000 tonnes of oil or plastics a year from waste streams – in the next nine months. Oxford Catalysts is among the leaders in a clutch of businesses trying to find a way to convert relatively low-value carbon-containing materials into higher-value diesel, jet fuel or industrial chemicals. Its technology works by using such substances as rotting vegetables and household waste as source materials, or flare gas from oilfields that would normally be wasted. These ideas have already excited interest both in the energy industry, and in chemicals manufacturing. In the second of these areas, Mr Lipski said his company’s technology could assist in parts of the world that are distant from conventional chemical feedstocks. “It’s possible to envisage ways of using our technology in small distributed plants that, by forming a source of materials for other factories fairly close by, could help to shorten manufacturing supply chains,” said Mr Lipski. One of the companies evaluating such ideas is Calumet, a US maker of speciality chemicals that is trying out some of Oxford Catalysts’ technology. Calumet is among a number of possible candidates for announcing the construction of a full-scale production venture by the end of 2013. Formed in 2006, Oxford Catalysts raised £30m this year in investments to further its technology, and has so far failed to make a profit – with Mr Lipski refusing to disclose when this might happen. He was speaking after the company announced that its losses, adjusted for depreciated, amortisation and related payments, rose 2 per cent in the year to December 31 2012 to £7.9m, after £7.7m the year before. However, the company made progress in pushing up revenues 61 per cent to £7.6m in 2012, from £4.7m in the previous 12 months. The loss per share was flat at 11.5p (11.4p). Oxford Catalysts will soon take on the name of Velocys, a subsidiary business. Between them Oxford Catalysts and Velocys – which has its headquarters in the US and was bought in 2008 – have spent about $300m on developing technical ideas over 15 years. Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2013.