• BB Green is the world’s fastest electric commuter vessel;
  Leclanché provided the turnkey battery energy storage system for EU-project

YVERDON LES BAINS, Switzerland and DALLAS, May 23, 2016 – The world’s fastest Air Supported Vessel (ASV), fully powered by a Leclanché lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS), has been launched at Latitude Yachts in Riga, Latvia.

The “BB Green” is the result of a five-year long EU-project. The vessel holds up to 70 passengers plus bikes, operates at a speed of 30 knots (56km/h) and is the first of its kind; it will initially be used for demonstration purposes across Europe.

The ASV technology reduces water resistance by having the ship operate on an air cushion. A battery powered fan in the bow injects pressurised air into a cavity under the ship and supports some 80 percent of the vessel’s displacement. The resistance is reduced by 40 percent at high speed, which makes it possible for the 25-ton ship to reach a speed of 30 knots propelled by 2 x 280 kW electric motors.

BB Green includes a 200 kWh LTO energy storage system enabling it to operate at high speed for over 30 minutes with a 14 nautical mile (26 km) range. At each stop, it benefits from ultra-fast charging for 15-20 minutes. This makes BB Green the “the world’s fastest electric commuter vessel” – perfect for commuting on inland waterways from outer suburbs to the city centre.

Mr. Antti Väyrynen, vice president of Leclanché highlights the importance of this project, “Full electrification of passenger ferries will reduce local emissions and provide silent and comfortable transportation on waterways. As the leading manufacturer of lithium-ion battery systems in Europe, Leclanché is proud to have contributed to this very innovative project as the integrated battery system supplier.”

BB Green is the result of a European project which involved 8 main partners:

• SES Europe / Effect Ships International, Norway (Hull technology and design)
• Latitude Yachts, Latvia (Construction)
• Echandia Marine, Sweden (System integration)
• Leclanché, Switzerland (Energy storage systems)
• SSPA, Sweden (Tank testing and documentation)
• Lloyd’s Register (Safety and classification)
• Diab, Sweden (Composite material and engineering)
• Aqualiner, the Netherlands (End user partner)

BB Green will make its first “road show” from Riga to Stockholm, through the canal to Gothenburg and then on to Oslo. The ship is owned by SES Europe together with Green City Ferries, who will operate the ship on its maiden voyage. Currently, Leclanché is supplying a 4.3 MWh turnkey energy storage system to the world’s
largest electric ferry which will be launched in Denmark in 2017. These contributions further highlight the Company’s strategy to enable the electrification of ferries.

About Leclanché

Headquartered in Switzerland, Leclanché SA is a leading provider of high-quality energy storage solutions designed to accelerate our progress towards a clean energy future. Leclanché’s history and heritage is rooted in over 100 years of battery and energy storage innovation and the Company is a trusted provider of energy storage solutions globally. This coupled with the Company’s culture of German engineering and Swiss precision and quality, continues to make Leclanché the partner of choice for both disruptors, established companies and governments who are pioneering positive changes in how energy is produced, distributed and consumed around the world. The energy transition is being driven primarily by changes in the management of our electricity networks and the electrification of transport, and these two end markets form the backbone of our strategy and business model. Leclanché is at the heart of the convergence of the electrification of transport and the changes in the distribution network. Leclanché is the only listed pure play energy storage company in the world, organised along three business units: stationary storage solutions, e-Transport solutions and specialty batteries systems. Leclanché is listed on the Swiss Stock Exchange (SIX: LECN).

SIX Swiss Exchange: ticker symbol LECN | ISIN CH 011 030 311 9

Disclaimer

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to Leclanché’s business, which can be identified by terminology such as “strategic”, “proposes”, “to introduce”, “will”, “planned”, “expected”, “commitment”, “expects”, “set”, “preparing”, “plans”, “estimates”, “aims”, “would”, “potential”, “awaiting”, “estimated”, “proposal”, or similar expressions, or by expressed or implied discussions regarding the ramp up of Leclanché’s production capacity, potential applications for existing products, or regarding potential future revenues from any such products, or potential future sales or earnings of Leclanché or any of its business units. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such forward-looking statements reflect the current views of Leclanché regarding future events, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. There can be no guarantee that Leclanché’s products will achieve any particular revenue levels. Nor can there be any guarantee that Leclanché, or any of the business units, will achieve any particular financial results.

Contacts Leclanché

Media Switzerland /Europe:

Thierry Meyer

T: +41 (0) 79 785 35 81

E-mail: tme@dynamicsgroup.ch

Media North America:

Henry Feintuch / Ashley Blas

T: +1-914-548-6924 / +1-509-494-4053

E-mail: leclanche@feintuchpr.com  

Media Germany:

Christoph Miller

T: +49 (0) 711 947 670

E-mail: leclanche@sympra.de

Investor Contacts:

Anil Srivastava / Hubert Angleys

T: +41 (0) 24 424 65 00

E-mail: invest.leclanche@leclanche.com