EQS-Adhoc: Leclanché SA: Leclanché welcomes the EU's plans to make battery development and production central to Europe's energy strategy

EQS Group-Ad-hoc: Leclanché SA / Key word(s): Expansion/Strategic Company 
Decision 
Leclanché SA: Leclanché welcomes the EU's plans to make battery development 
and production central to Europe's energy strategy 
 
13-Oct-2017 / 12:09 CET/CEST 
Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 KR 
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. 
 
*Leclanché welcomes the EU's plans to make battery development and 
production central to Europe's energy strategy* 
 
*YVERDON LES BAINS, Switzerland, 13th October 2017:* Leclanché SA (SIX: 
LECN), one of the world's leading energy storage solution companies, 
welcomes the European Union's plans to make battery storage central to 
Europe's energy infrastructure. 
 
At the initiative of European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic, in 
charge of Energy Union, a high-level meeting on Battery development and 
production in Europe took place on Wednesday 11th October in Brussels. This 
meeting regrouped the leading actors from the EU industry and member states 
to discuss the establishment of a full value chain of batteries in Europe, 
importantly including large-scale Lithium ion battery cell production. It 
was recognized that the large-scale manufacturing of Lithium ion cells with 
highest possible control of IP is crucial for EU economy and job creation 
for the future. There was a clear sense of urgency by all parties which 
included industrial leaders from automotive OEMs, Chemical companies, Energy 
companies and cell manufacturing companies. 
 
Anil Srivastava, CEO of Leclanché, and Pierre Blanc, the company's CTIO, 
were amongst the invited participants at the meeting in Brussels yesterday. 
With its industrial scale manufacturing site in Germany, and its development 
centers in Switzerland and Belgium, Leclanché is one of the largest 
manufacturers of Lithium ion cells in Europe, and has one of the strongest 
industrial basis. 
 
A clear conclusion of the meeting was to form work strands in order to 
prepare a concrete roadmap by February 2018, that could set the path to a 
strong European based consortium, in many ways inspired by what was achieved 
50 years ago in the aerospace sector. 
Leclanché welcomes the initiative led by Vice-President Sefcovic, and is 
excited to be part of this process that should enable Europe to regain a 
strong position in the battery industry, which will be key in the ongoing 
transition to clean mobility and clean energy systems. Lithium ion cell 
production is central to the achievement of these goals and Leclanché is one 
of the very few players in Europe with industrial scale Lithium ion cell 
manufacturing experience. 
 
EU funding will be made available, possibly through IPCEI (Important 
Projects of Common European Interest), and the group will develop an EU-wide 
action roadmap over the coming months. Work on this is to start immediately, 
with Industrial participants to take the lead. 
 
Anil Srivastava, CEO of Leclanché, said: "Battery technology is vital to the 
future security of Europe's energy supply and the initiative of 
Vice-President Sefcovic will help create the right momentum and sends a 
clear signal as to its importance. Leclanché has been investing heavily over 
the past few years in building the required industrial foundations to be in 
a position to play an important role in this ambitious plan, and we are 
delighted to see such a strong and clear position taken by the European 
Commission. Leclanché, as one of the oldest battery companies in Europe, and 
with its strong industrial experience, aims to play a key role in this 
process, as it continues to build its presence in North America, Asia and 
further re-enforces its existing European activities." 
 
* * * * * 
 
*About Leclanché* 
 
Leclanché is one of the world's leading fully vertically integrated energy 
storage solution providers. It delivers a wide range of energy storage 
solutions for homes, small offices, large industries, electricity grids, as 
well as hybridization for mass transport systems such as bus fleets and 
ferries. Established in 1909, Leclanché has been a trusted provider of 
battery energy storage solutions for over 100 years. Founded in the 
tradition of Georges Leclanché, the inventor of the dry cell battery, 
Leclanché today has a rich portfolio of Battery Energy Storage Systems 
(BESS) that include industry leading lithium-ion battery systems. 
 
Leclanché is listed on the Swiss stock exchange, and is the only listed 
pure-play energy storage company in the world. 
 
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. 
 
* * * * * 
*Europe/Global:* 
Désirée Maghoo 
T: [phone] 
E-mail: [e-mail] 
 
Simon Barker 
T: [phone] 
E-mail: [e-mail] 
 
*US and Canada: * 
Rick Anderson 
T: [phone] 
 
Henry Feintuch 
T: [phone] 
E-mail: [e-mail] 
 
*Investor Contacts* 
Anil Srivastava / Hubert Angleys 
T: [phone] 
E-Mail: [e-mail] 
 
# # # 
 
End of ad hoc announcement 
Language: English 
Company:  Leclanché SA 
          Av. des Sports 42 
          1400 Yverdon-les-Bains 
          Switzerland 
Phone:    [phone] 
Fax:      [phone] 
E-mail:   [e-mail] 
Internet: www.leclanche.com 
ISIN:     CH0110303119, CH0016271550 
Valor:    A1CUUB, 812950 
Listed:   SIX Swiss Exchange 
 
End of Announcement EQS Group News Service 
 
618749 13-Oct-2017 CET/CEST 
 
 

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

October 13, 2017 06:09 ET (10:09 GMT)