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14 June 2006
Tersus Energy Plc
(“Tersus” or “the Company”)
Trading Update
At the AGM held at 2 p.m. this afternoon
the Chairman made the following statement:
I am pleased to report continued progress
in each of our businesses.
Tersus Asian Renewables –
Chinese and Indian economic growth continues to create
energy opportunities
- HT Blade, in which we invested
$2m in February via Tang Wind Energy, continues to
increase its production and its order book and expects
to achieve significantly increased profits in 2006
compared to 2005; TWE, currently a Texas Limited Partnership,
is transferring its investment in HT Blade into a
Cayman Island company to facilitate further pre IPO
investment and HT Blade is making effective progress
in restructuring so as to facilitate an IPO in due
course. Tersus is investigating and negotiating the
possibility of making a further investment in HT Blade.
- Our 50% interest in Jasfour Power
Private Limited, the vehicle for our development interests
in India, has been formalised and we have agreed a
45% interest in the first Indian wind project, 75MW
in Tamil Nadu with a capital value of approximately
$100m, where negotiations for financing and offtake
are at an advanced stage. We expect to invest in the
equity of this project.
- The Philippines wind project, 160MW
in Ilocos Norte, in which we have a 25.5% interest,
continues to make progress and updated wind data is
currently being obtained to support financing discussions
which are in progress.
Tersus Bio Energy –
Opportunities abound for investment in bioenergies production
- Following our recent £750,000
investment in Enviro-Control Ltd, the intellectual
property holder in relation to Enviro-Control's patented
animal waste-to-energy technology, its subsidiaries,
in each of which Tersus has a 50% direct interest,
have now been established for project development
and for marketing the fertiliser by product. Work
has commenced on financing the first projects in Europe
and the US in which Tersus expects to co-invest. The
current project development pipeline comprises more
than 15 projects representing more than $300m in capital
value.
- Tersus and Dynamotive continue
to work together on 14 North American projects. In
addition, Tersus is currently screening a number of
projects which it originated.
- Tersus continues to evaluate not
only Dynamotive and Enviro-Control projects, in association
with its joint venture partners, but also stand-alone
biofuel opportunities. Tersus expects a number of
investment opportunities to flow from this work.
- Tersus has realised US$237,000
for the Dynamotive warrants it received in 2004 for
advisory work undertaken at that time. No book value
had been attributed to these warrants for accounting
purposes. Tersus has also converted and sold part
of its Dynamotive convertible loan realising a profit
of $86,000. Subject to market conditions, Tersus expects
to realise the remainder of its $500,000 investment
in Dynamotive during 2006. At the current market price,
this would result in a further profit of $1.6m.
Tersus Energy Controls –
Focus on energy saving and management in North America
- Navitas is now trading profitably
at budgeted levels after a quality control issue,
now resolved, hit the first quarter’s result.
Management remain confident of achieving budgeted
profit for the year which budget represents a substantial
increase on the 2005 profit.
- Tersus is pleased to announce new
appointments as Navitas CEO and Director of Engineering
respectively. Mike Oreskovic has been hired as the
CEO of Navitas. Mike most recently served as the President
and Managing Director of Saft Power Systems’
Canadian operations (Saft Power Systems is a European
based manufacturer of back-up power systems, uninterruptible
power systems, telecom power plants and battery chargers
for electric vehicle applications). He brings 20 years
of managerial, sales and technical experience to this
position. Andrew Herrington has been appointed Director
of Engineering. Andrew has 37 years of electronic
product development experience with ASIC Design, DSP-embedded
application software, wireless technologies, mechanical
design, and new methodologies for the ASIC, telecom,
automation, wireless, and personal computer markets.
- Tersus has committed to invest
a further $500,000 in Navitas to develop new products
in the electric or hybrid vehicles electric control
markets. Mike and Andrew have been recruited to execute
this growth strategy.
- Following Tersus’ recent
$2.1m acquisition of Envinta inc, which sells energy
management software and systems, this company has
recently secured a $500,000 contract deliverable over
the next two years. Management expect further sales
growth from a restructured and enlarged sales team
and expect significant profit growth.
- Following its $100,000 initial
investment in Thor Power Corporation, Tersus has agreed
a joint venture with Thor under which Tersus will
use Thor technologies to pursue growth in the electric
and hybrid motor vehicle markets. When this agreement
is formalised, which is expected to be in the next
few weeks, Tersus will invest a further $150,000 in
Thor. Upon the completion of this round, Tersus will
have invested $250,000 out of the $400,000 option
to invest it negotiated earlier this year. In total
this $400,000 investment would give Tersus 21% of
Thor.
- Tersus Energy Control’s management
continue to explore and evaluate opportunities for
growing the business organically or by acquisition
in what remains a very large but fragmented market.
Other activities
- Tersus’ relationship
with Proteus, which plans to acquire and redevelop
marginal oil fields and exploit them with proven non-conventional
technology, originated in advisory work provided in
2004. This relationship has provided the opportunity
to invest $200,000 by way of convertible loans, to
earn and reinvest $300,000 of fees which will arise
on Proteus’ successful completion of its current
financing programme, which is in excess of £20
million, and has enabled Tersus to negotiate options
which would cost up to a further $830,000. Taken together
these investments and advisory work would give Tersus
a 7.4% holding in Proteus. Dubai Islamic Bank is in
the process of seeking $22m of investment into Proteus
which will enable it to commence full scale operations
in oil field recovery.
- Tersus is in the process of establishing
a new subsidiary, (Tersus Energy Capital Ltd) which
will be an FSA regulated business earnings fees through
raising finance for the projects to which Tersus has
access including those through its JV relationships
in China, India, South Korea and with Dynamotive and
Enviro-Control.
Conclusion
- Tersus is looking forward to the
remainder of 2006 with enthusiasm and confidence.
The markets continue to provide opportunities and
we are well placed to capitalise upon them. Given
the continuing concerns over securing environmentally
friendly sources of energy and improving the efficiency
of our energy usage, we believe the renewable sector
has never been more relevant. We are confident that
Tersus has the skills and experience to create real
value for our investors as these fundamentals underpin
the growth of the renewable market.
Enquiries:
Tersus Energy plc
Steven Levine, Chief Executive Officer
+1 978 635 0997
David Wilson, Finance Director
Tel: +44 20 7408 5416/+44 7831 818 121
M Communications
Patrick d'Ancona/Harriet Totty
Tel: +44 20 7153 1540/+44 20 7153 1590
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