VLS.L Regulatory News (VLS)

17 Jan 2007 07:01

Oxford Catalysts Group PLC17 January 2007 17th January 2007 OXFORD CATALYSTS GROUP PLC ("Oxford Catalysts" or "the Company") Short-listing for UK MOD's PPS Research Programme Oxford Catalysts Group PLC, the leading catalyst innovator for clean fuels, ispleased to announce that its hydrogen-on-demand technology, used for theproduction of hydrogen to power fuel cells, has been short-listed for selectionas part of the UK Ministry of Defence's Portable Power Systems researchprogramme. The UK Ministry of Defence is seeking a solution to the increasing requirementsfor portable power in the armed forces, through an initiative known as thePortable Power Systems (PPS) programme. Modern electronic systems used bytoday's soldiers are extremely power hungry-batteries currentlyconstitute up to 25% of the soldier's load. The UK Ministry of Defence isexploring the use of fuel cells as a potential solution to reducing this weightsignificantly, and to simplifying the replenishment, support and infrastructurerequirements associated with portable power systems. Oxford Catalysts hasdeveloped technology to produce hydrogen from renewable fuels, instantaneouslystarting from room temperature, for use in fuel cells. The PPS programme is managed by the UK Defence Procurement Agency and undertakenby ABSL Power Solutions Ltd, in collaboration with QinetiQ as key subcontractor.Oxford Catalysts' technology has reached the short-list of Strand B of thisprogramme, which is intended to produce prototypes within three years. Roy Lipski, Chief Executive of Oxford Catalysts, said: "Our short-listing for this programme's final stages of selection representsfurther recognition of Oxford Catalysts' technology for the generation ofhydrogen from a liquid fuel, instantaneously starting from room temperature. Ourground-breaking technology could represent the missing link for making portablefuel cells a commercial reality." - Ends - For further information, please contact: Roy Lipski, Oxford Catalysts 07789 810 592Jonathon Brill / Billy Clegg, 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 19 years of research at theUniversity of Oxford's prestigious Wolfson Catalysis Centre, headed by ProfessorMalcolm Green, one of the world's most respected inorganic chemists. OxfordCatalysts was founded by Professor Green and Dr Xiao in October 2004 and wasadmitted to trading on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange on 26th April2006, having raised £15m before expenses from a solid base of institutionalinvestors. 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 - thebuilding block 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