Monday 2nd April 2007
Appointment of Business Development Director
Oxford Catalysts Group PLC ("Oxford Catalysts" or "the Company"), the leading catalyst innovator for clean fuels, is pleased to announce that it has appointed David Wardle as Business Development Director, with immediate effect.
Dave will head business development for a number of Oxford Catalysts' superior technologies, including unique processes for the production of instant steam or hydrogen gas, as well as catalysts for high temperature reforming of conventional hydrocarbon fuels such as diesel. He will be responsible for identifying, establishing and maintaining development partnerships with leading manufacturers, producers and suppliers in the fuel cells, electronics, steam and biogas processing markets.
During his 18 years working for the BOC Group, Dave was involved in developing a wide range of technology-based businesses, including starting a stand-alone venture in the USA and leading the metals heat-treatment market, which is the largest single market for merchant hydrogen gas worldwide.
As European Manager of Hydrogen Energy at BOC, Dave enjoyed a high profile role influencing local and national policy in the emerging hydrogen energy market. He recognised the need for the hydrogen community to be better represented and hence founded the UK Hydrogen Association. Dave's most recent role was as Corporate Business Development Manager, which positioned him as a key member of a 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 my experience and contacts to further leverage the Company's new and existing technologies. I'm particularly excited by the commercialisation opportunities within the instant steam and hydrogen arenas."
Commenting on the appointment, Roy Lipski, Chief Executive Officer of Oxford Catalysts said:
"Dave is an experienced business development professional with a proven track record of success, which will help to commercialise Oxford Catalysts' innovative technologies. He has great experience working in the specific industries we are targeting. We're delighted to have him on board!"
For further information, please contact:
Roy Lipski, Chief Executive, Oxford Catalysts 01235 841 700
Dave Wardle, Business Development Director, Oxford Catalysts 01235 841 700
Jonathon 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 from both conventional fossil fuels and certain renewable sources such as biomass. Its patent-pending technology is the result of almost 20 years of research at the University of Oxford's prestigious Wolfson Catalysis Centre, headed by Professor Malcolm Green, one of the world's most respected inorganic chemists. Oxford Catalysts was founded by Professor Green and Dr Xiao in October 2004 and was admitted to trading on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange on 26th April 2006, having raised £15m before expenses from a solid base of institutional investors.
Oxford Catalysts' strategy is to license its catalysts for commercial application by entering into co-development partnerships with leading manufacturers, producers and suppliers in the petroleum, petrochemicals, fuel cells, biogas, steam applications and catalysis markets.
Oxford Catalysts has two key platform technologies. The first is for a novel class of catalysts made from metal carbides which, for certain reactions, can match or exceed the benefits of traditional precious metal catalysts at a lower cost. Applications of these metal-carbide catalysts include the removal of sulphur from crude oil fractions (known as hydro-desulphurisation or HDS), the conversion of natural gas or coal into virtually sulphur-free liquid fuels via the Fischer-Tropsch reaction (known as the GTL and CTL processes respectively), and the transformation of biogas (waste methane) into syngas – the building block of liquid fuels.
The second platform relates to chemical reactions involving a liquid fuel containing an alcohol (such as methanol), hydrogen peroxide and water. The company's novel catalyst can be used to release hydrogen gas from this liquid fuel, instantaneously starting from room temperature. This groundbreaking hydrogen-on-demand technology has the potential to significantly accelerate the commercial adoption of fuel cells in the portable and other mobile markets, by providing 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 a broad range of markets, from cleaning and disinfecting, to motive power and electricity generation.
