VLS.L Regulatory News (VLS)

28 Dec 2007 07:00

Oxford Catalysts Group PLC28 December 2007 28 December 2007 OXFORD CATALYSTS GROUP PLC ("Oxford Catalysts" or "the Company") Directorate Change Oxford Catalysts, the leading catalyst innovator for clean fuels, announcesthat, as previously indicated, Paul Barnes, Finance Director, is stepping downfrom the Board with immediate effect. Paul has served as part-time Finance Director since the Group's admission to AIMin April 2006, but the rapid growth of the Company now necessitates a full-timerole. Susan Robertson FCA joined the Company from The BOC Group / Linde as ChiefFinancial Officer in October of this year and Paul has kindly stayed on for thisinterim period to ensure a smooth handover. Commenting on Paul Barnes' departure, Dr Pierre Jungels CBE, Chairman of OxfordCatalysts said: "Paul has been an asset to the Company and we are all sad to see him go. OxfordCatalysts is rapidly progressing down the path to commercialisation which meansthat a full-time CFO is now required. I would like to take this opportunity tothank Paul and wish him the best of luck for the future. "Susan has substantial financial and commercial experience gained in amulti-national blue-chip environment, within a relevant industry area. Thehandover has gone smoothly and we look forward to working with Susan goingforward." - Ends - For further information, please contact: Roy Lipski, CEO, Oxford Catalysts 01235 841 700 Oliver Stratton, KBC Peel Hunt (Nomad and Broker) 020 7418 8900 Billy Clegg / Jonathon Brill, Financial Dynamics 020 7831 3113 Notes to Editors Oxford Catalysts Group PLC, the leading catalyst innovator for clean fuels,designs and develops specialty catalysts for the generation of clean fuels fromboth conventional fossil fuels and certain renewable sources such as biomass.Its patent-pending technology is the result of almost 20 years of research atthe University of Oxford's prestigious Wolfson Catalysis Centre, headed byProfessor Malcolm Green, one of the world's most respected inorganic chemists.Oxford Catalysts was founded by Professor Green and Dr Xiao in October 2004 andwas admitted to trading on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange on 26thApril 2006, having raised £15m before expenses from a solid base ofinstitutional investors. Oxford Catalysts' strategy is to license its catalysts for commercialapplication by entering into co-development partnerships with leadingmanufacturers, producers and suppliers in the petroleum, petrochemicals, fuelcells, biogas, steam applications and catalysis markets. Oxford Catalysts has two key platform technologies. The first is for a novelclass of catalysts made from metal carbides which, for certain reactions, canmatch or exceed the benefits of traditional precious metal catalysts at a lowercost. Applications of these metal-carbide catalysts include the removal ofsulphur from crude oil fractions (known as hydro-desulphurisation or HDS), theconversion of natural gas or coal into virtually sulphur-free liquid fuels viathe Fischer-Tropsch reaction (known as the GTL and CTL processes respectively),and the transformation of biogas (waste methane) into syngas £ the buildingblock of liquid fuels. The second platform relates to chemical reactions involving a liquid containinga renewable fuel, such as methanol, ethanol or glycerol, and dilute hydrogenperoxide. The company's novel catalyst can be used to release hydrogen gas fromthis liquid, instantaneously starting from room temperature. This groundbreakingInstant Hydrogen technology has the potential to significantly accelerate thecommercial adoption of fuel cells in the portable and other mobile markets, byproviding the much needed source of cheap, safe, transportable hydrogen. Another of the company's catalysts can be used to produce steam at temperaturesbetween 100(o)C and 800(o)C+ instantaneously starting from room temperature,from a liquid fuel containing dilute hydrogen peroxide and either an alcohol,sugar, glycerol, starch or formic acid. Such Instant Steam could have importantapplications in a broad range of markets, from cleaning and disinfecting, togreen energy in the form of motive power or electricity. www.oxfordcatalysts.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange