VLS.L Regulatory News (VLS)

2 Apr 2007 07:04

Oxford Catalysts Group PLC02 April 2007 2 April 2007 OXFORD CATALYSTS GROUP PLC ("Oxford Catalysts" or "the Company") Appointment of Business Development Director Oxford Catalysts Group PLC, the leading catalyst innovator for clean fuels, ispleased to announce that it has appointed David Wardle as Business DevelopmentDirector, with immediate effect. Dave will head business development for a number of Oxford Catalysts' superiortechnologies, including unique processes for the production of instant steam orhydrogen gas, as well as catalysts for high temperature reforming ofconventional hydrocarbon fuels such as diesel. He will be responsible foridentifying, establishing and maintaining development partnerships with leadingmanufacturers, producers and suppliers in the fuel cells, electronics, steam andbiogas processing markets. During his 18 years working for the BOC Group, Dave was involved in developing awide range of technology-based businesses, including starting a stand-aloneventure in the USA and leading the metals heat-treatment market, which is thelargest single market for merchant hydrogen gas worldwide. As European Manager of Hydrogen Energy at BOC, Dave enjoyed a high profile roleinfluencing local and national policy in the emerging hydrogen energy market. Herecognised the need for the hydrogen community to be better represented andhence founded the UK Hydrogen Association. Dave's most recent role was asCorporate Business Development Manager, which positioned him as a key member ofa select entrepreneurial team charged with growing the BOC Group. Commenting on his appointment, David Wardle said: "I am delighted to be joining this fast-growing business. I hope to use myexperience and contacts to further leverage the Company's new and existingtechnologies. I'm particularly excited by the commercialisation opportunitieswithin the instant steam and hydrogen arenas." Commenting on the appointment, Roy Lipski, Chief Executive Officer of OxfordCatalysts said: "Dave is an experienced business development professional with a proven trackrecord of success, which will help to commercialise Oxford Catalysts' innovativetechnologies. He has great experience working in the specific industries we aretargeting. We're delighted to have him on board!" - Ends - For further information, please contact: Roy Lipski, CEO, Oxford Catalysts 01235 841 700Dave Wardle, Business Development Director, Oxford Catalysts 01235 841 700Jonathon Brill / Billy Clegg, FD 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 fuelcontaining an alcohol (such as methanol), hydrogen peroxide and water. Thecompany's novel catalyst can be used to release hydrogen gas from this liquidfuel, instantaneously starting from room temperature. This groundbreakinghydrogen-on-demand 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 superheated steam(800c+) from the above fuel, instantaneously starting from room temperature.Such portable high-temperature steam could have important applications in abroad range of markets, from cleaning and disinfecting, to motive power andelectricity generation. www.oxfordcatalysts.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange