Last checked at 31 Jul 2009 10:49
STOCK EXCHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT
31 July 2009
Proton Power Systems Plc ("Proton" or the "Company")
Loan agreement
Proton announces that it has agreed the terms of a Euro 1.5 million loan (the "Loan") with Roundstone Properties Limited ("Roundstone"). The Loan is repayable on 30 July 2012 and has a return of 10% per annum, such return to be satisfied by the issue by the Company of new ordinary shares to Roundstone. Each share so issued would be deemed to satisfy €0.02 of the return due under the Loan.
Related Party Transaction
Roundstone Properties is a company connected to Dr. Faiz Nahab, a non-executive director of the Company, and is also a substantial shareholder (as defined in the AIM Rules) of the Company. The entering into of the loan agreement with Roundstone is therefore classified as a transaction with a related party for the purposes of the AIM Rules. In accordance, therefore, with the AIM Rules, the directors of the Company, with the exclusion of Dr. Faiz Nahab, having consulted with the Company's nominated adviser, Arbuthnot Securities Limited, consider that the terms of the transaction are fair and reasonable insofar as the Company's shareholders are concerned.
The City Code on Takeovers and Mergers
Proton is a public limited company registered in England; however, as the Company does not have its central place of management and control in the UK, the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers does not apply to the Company.
For further information:
| Proton Power Systems plc | |
| John Wall, Chairman | Tel: +44 (0) 78 0291 7615 |
| Ali Naini, Deputy Chairman | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7329 1750 |
| Thomas Melczer, CEO | Tel: +49 (0) 89 127 626599 |
| www.protonpowersystems.com | |
| Arbuthnot Securities Limited | |
| Tom Griffiths / Antonio Bossi | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7012 2000 |
| www.arbuthnotsecurities.co.uk | |
| Media enquiries: | |
| Abchurch Communications Limited | |
| Heather Salmond/Justin Heath/Monique Tsang | Tel: +44 (0) 20 7398 7700 |
| monique.tsang@abchurch-group.com | www.abchurch-group.com |
Notes to Editors
Proton Power Systems plc is a developer and manufacturer of fuel cells and fuel cell hybrid systems for motive and stationary power supply. Its sales-driven strategy focuses on identifying applications with the greatest market needs and supplying large volumes of cost-competitive systems to fulfil those needs. Proton is targeting a global opportunity, accessing a broad range of markets through partnerships with leading OEMs such as Skoda Electric and Karmann.
Motive applications include forklifts, city buses, municipal utility vehicles and ferries; 'back-to-base' markets which can readily utilise the modularity and scalability of the Company's hydrogen fuel cell systems, and which do not depend on the existence of a ubiquitous hydrogen infrastructure, thereby facilitating swift commercialisation.
Stationary applications focus on the Uninterruptible Power Supply sector, where there is a large demand for mission-critical, grid-independent secure power supply in places such as telecommunications stations, data centres, hospitals, and power substations. Further market potential lies in industrial and chemical processing plants, where the otherwise wasted hydrogen by-product can be harnessed for producing local power.
Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Proton Motor Fuel Cell GmbH ("Proton Motor"), the Group has developed and produced a fuel cell module that can be integrated with energy storage media to create a hybrid fuel cell system. A proprietary, intelligent energy management software balances the power output across the fuel cell storage unit(s) to maximise efficiency and improve power delivery. The system thus boasts lower fuel consumption and more consistent levels of power delivery than conventional diesel/combustion engine or fuel cell-only systems, in addition to producing zero harmful emissions.
Proton Power Systems plc was admitted to trading on AIM on 31 October 2006 and is incorporated in the UK. Proton Motor has more than 15 years of experience in the fuel cell market and is located in Puchheim, near Munich, Germany, where its manufacturing facility is based.