VLS.L Regulatory News (VLS)

8 Oct 2007 07:00

Oxford Catalysts Group PLC08 October 2007 8 October 2007 OXFORD CATALYSTS GROUP PLC ("Oxford Catalysts" or "the Company") Oxford Catalysts Sign MOU with Global Consumer Goods Giant Oxford Catalysts, the leading catalyst innovator for clean fuels, is pleased toannounce that it has entered into a memorandum of understanding ("MOU") with aworld-leading fast moving consumer goods ("FMCG") multinational to explore theuse of Oxford Catalysts' proprietary technology for Instant Steam. The Company's Instant Steam technology enables the generation of steamimmediately on demand, using a compact, simple and portable device. Thetechnology incorporates a proprietary catalyst that initiates a chemicalreaction in a liquid fuel (consisting of common chemicals), that produces steaminstantaneously starting from room temperature. For example, the fuel can becontained in a plastic spray bottle and the catalyst incorporated into thenozzle spray mechanism. When the trigger is squeezed, the fuel passes over thecatalyst and steam is produced instantly. By overcoming many of the disadvantages of traditional methods of making steam- boilers and kettles - such chemically generated Trigger Steam could help bring the many benefits of using steam in cleaning and disinfectionapplications to a much wider population of users. The MOU between the two Companies covers the initial stages of a developmentprogramme which spans feasibility and proof-of-concept trials, through toprototype development and product launch. If successful, it could lead to OxfordCatalysts' technology being used by consumers worldwide, with an initial upfrontpayment to the Company and ongoing royalty income on product sales. Roy Lipski, Chief Executive of Oxford Catalysts said: "We are very excited about our Trigger Steam technology and the potentialrepresented by the process we've embarked upon with this leading global consumergoods giant. "The possible uses of our technology are vast. We're confident that we havefound a partner that is ideally positioned to help us capitalise on its promisein a number of mass-market applications." - Ends - For further information, please contact: Dave Wardle, Business Development Director, Oxford Catalysts 01235 841 700Jonathan Marren/Gordon Suggett, KBC Peel Hunt (Nominated advisers and broker) 0207 418 8900 Jonathon Brill / Billy Clegg, Financial Dynamics 020 7831 3113 Notes for 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 degrees C and 800 degrees C+ instantaneously starting from roomtemperature, from a liquid fuel containing dilute hydrogen peroxide and eitheran alcohol, sugar, glycerol, starch or formic acid. Such Instant Steam couldhave important applications in a broad range of markets, from cleaning anddisinfecting, to green 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