Armadale Capital Regulatory News (ACP)

18 Dec 2007 17:09

MicroFuze International plc18 December 2007 MicroFuze International Plc announces progress on the Water Project for Western Utilities Corporation December 18, 2007 Directors of MicroFuze International plc (MFZ) are pleased to announce that itswholly-owned subsidiary, Western Utilities Corporation ("WUC"), has successfullycompleted infrastructure preparation of the Pilot Plants construction sites.This work includes the site clearing and laying of foundations, as well as theinstallation of the fencing, electrical and water supplies to the respectivepilot plants. Construction of the Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) pilotplant (using the CSIR designed process) is positive and the work is on scheduleand on budget. Procurement and delivery of all major pieces of equipment havebeen completed and the start-up chemicals are already on site. Finalconstruction of piping and installation of cabling is continuing. Commissioningof the plant is scheduled for completion in January 2008. The procurement and delivery of all major equipment for the SAVMIN plant (usinga patented process licensed from Mintek, and designed and constructed byAtomaer) has also been finalised, with the exception of the structural steelwork, which has been subject to some supplier delays. Finalisation andcommissioning of this plant is scheduled for February 2008. At the same time the Board is pleased to announce the conclusion of a WaterTreatment Plant Management Agreement between WUC and Mogale Gold. Thisagreement entails WUC taking management responsibility for the treatment of AcidMine Drainage (AMD) on behalf of Mogale Gold, for use in its own processes andfor the discharge of excess water. WUC has partnered with a leading engineeringgroup, Africon Engineering in South Africa, to supply specialised technicalskills. This agreement will realise the first revenue generated for WUC inJanuary 2008, which is significantly ahead of anticipated revenue generationfrom existing activities. For further information:MicroFuze International plc www.microfuze.comPeter Marks, Chairman Tel: +44 (0)20 7016 5100Doug Parrish, Chief Executive Tel: +44 (0)20 7016 5100parrish@microfuze.com Mob: +44 (0) 7789 373 292 Jaco Schoeman, Executive Director Mob: +27 829 050 764 Nominated Adviser: Nabarro Wells & Co LimitedHugh Oram Tel: +44 (0)20 7710 7400 Media enquiries:Positive ProfileHenry Gewanter Tel: +44 (0)20 7489 2028HenryG@PositiveProfile.com Mob: + 44 (0)7774 22 88 45 Notes to Editors: MicroFuze International plc MicroFuze is a metals technology company which owns, through its 85% ownedsubsidiary MicroFuze Americas, Inc., the sole licence to commercialise the USDepartment of Energy's patented process for Microwave Diffusion Treatment ("MDT") discovered by their Oak Ridge, Tennessee Nuclear Research Facility. The USDepartment of Energy retains a 10% interest in MicroFuze Americas and HarleyGrant, the Oak Ridge inventor of the process, holds the remaining 5% ofMicroFuze Americas shares. Because MDT is quicker, cheaper and cleaner than all known existing surfacetreatments of metals, it provides significant physical, economic andenvironmental advantages. MDT can make cheap steel nearly impenetrable and has alarge number of potential uses for parts, components and accessories whichrequire hardening, lubricity, wear resistance and corrosion protection.Industries that will benefit from MDT include power generation, automotive,aeronautical and general manufacturing in a global market worth US$6 billionannually. MicroFuze also owns 100% of Western Utilities Corporation (Pty) Ltd (WUC), anewly-formed venture to build a state-of-the-art water treatment plant in theWitwatersrand Basin of West Rand, South Africa to clean Acid Mine Drainage (AMD)from gold mines and then re-sell tbe cleaned water to third parties (chieflynearby platinum mines with major expansion strategies). The plant will be capable of processing up to 75 Mega Litres of water per day,relieving the growing pressure on existing potable and industrial waterresources in Johannesburg's fast-developing West Rand and eliminating the riskof water damage to an environmentally-sensitive site caused by more than acentury of gold mining activity. CSIR Integrated Barium Sulphide process consisting of preliminary treatment withlime, sulphate precipitation as barium sulphate, H2S-stripping, crystallizationof CaCO3, and recovery of barium sulphide. SAVMIN Uses a calcium/aluminium precipitation process carrying out multipleprecipitation steps through the addition of lime and aluminium hydroxide (A1(OH)3). The SAVMIN system has been effectively demonstrated on mine waste in SouthAfrica, reducing sulphate from 600 to 800 mg/L to below 200 mg/L. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange