13.10.2017 – 12:15

Leclanché SA

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.

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Leclanché welcomes the EU's plans to make battery development and production
central to Europe's energy strategy

YVERDON LES BAINS, Switzerland, 13thOctober 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 Maroš Šefčovič, in
charge of Energy Union, a high-level meeting on Battery development and
production in Europe took place on Wednesday 11thOctober 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 Šefčovič, 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
Šefčovič 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: +44 (0) 7775 522740
E-mail:dmaghoo@questorconsulting.com

Simon Barker
T: +44 (0)7866 314331
E-mail:sbarker@questorconsulting.com

US and Canada:
Rick Anderson
T: +1 (718) 986-1596

Henry Feintuch
T: +1 (212) 808-4901
E-mail:leclanche@feintuchpr.com

Investor Contacts
Anil Srivastava / Hubert Angleys
T: +41 (0) 24 424 65 00
E-Mail:invest.leclanche@leclanche.com

# # #

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End of ad hoc announcement------------------------------------------------------

Language: English

Company:  Leclanché SA

          Av. des Sports 42

          1400 Yverdon-les-Bains

          Switzerland

Phone:    +41 (24) 424 65-00

Fax:      +41 (24) 424 65-20

E-mail:    investors@leclanche.com

Internet: www.leclanche.com

ISIN:     CH0110303119, CH0016271550

Valor:    A1CUUB, 812950

Listed:   SIX Swiss Exchange



 

End of Announcement EQS Group News Service

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618749  13-Oct-2017 CET/CEST