Company News

Leclanché postpones Annual General Meeting

Thu Jun 8
  • Reviewing funding requirements following large order book generation and convertible debt repayment

YVERDON LES BAINS, Switzerland, 7th June 2017: Leclanché SA (SIX: LECN), one of the world’s leading energy storage solution companies, announced today that its board of directors is postponing the Company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) scheduled for 14th June to a date in July to be confirmed.

After two very successful years implementing its growth plan, Leclanché has delivered a revenue increase of 250 per cent above 2014’s figures, significantly reduced its steady-state EBITDA loss, and generated an order book of more than 90 MWh in stationary projects. The bulk of this order book comes from two very large projects: 41 MWh for the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) in Ontario, Canada, the core of the 53 MWh project, which is one of the world’s largest stationary storage systems; and 33 MWh for a utility storage system in Germany.

Additionally, the company is in advance negotiations for contracts with electric vehicles (EV) customers and automotive systems integrators. These include a large volume contract in India for which test units are being shipped shortly and a joint development agreement with a world leading manufacturer of electric drives and traction motors for buses, tramways, locomotives, suburban train units, metros and mine cars.

In order to deliver such a large order book, Leclanché requires a significant increase in capital. In addition, the company has a convertible debt which is due for repayment by 30th June 2017.

Leclanché’s board of directors, together with its major shareholders, has undertaken a comprehensive review of the Company’s funding needs in the near and long term and is reviewing options which include a rights issue, private placement with institutional shareholders and a dual-listing on a North American exchange. Exploratory discussions for listing in North America, the fastest growing energy storage market in the world, indicate significant investor appetite for Leclanché with its comprehensive product range and projects in both the stationary storage and EV markets.

As a result of the funding review, and some management time diverted due to the unfortunate fire accident on 22nd May, caused by a battery system not manufactured by Leclanché, the Company took the decision to postpone the AGM scheduled on 14th June. A new date for the AGM and related agenda will be circulated shortly.

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