12th Sep 2006 07:01
Accsys Technologies PLC12 September 2006 12th September, 2006 AIM:AXS Titan Wood acquires technology and signs exclusive agreement with Scion Research Institute in New Zealand Accsys Technologies PLC ("Accsys" or "the Company", www.accsysplc.com) announcesthat its 100% owned subsidiary, Titan Wood BV, has purchased acetylation-relatedtechnology and signed an exclusive research agreement with Crown ResearchInstitute Scion in Rotorua, New Zealand. The agreement demonstrates theCompany's firm commitment to leadership in the commercial production ofultra-high performance acetylated timber which it markets under the brand nameof AccoyaTM. As well as signalling the company's geographic expansion, the movealso ensures that Titan Wood will provide the best technology to itsinternational licensees at competitive prices. Titan Wood specialises in the development of new wood technologies and is ontrack to begin commercial production of AccoyaTM later this year. The technology acquired from Scion will be tested in Titan Wood's large scalepilot plant over the coming months with the aim of adopting it for use in itsnew 30,000m3 production facility. Licensees will be offered the enhancedtechnology once full-scale trials are completed The exclusive agreement between Scion and Titan Wood cements a relationship thathas been built over the past two years. Close collaboration has enabled TitanWood to identify some improvements in the economics of its process byintegrating Scion's technology into its own. The agreement includes a researchand development programme which Scion will deliver through Ensis, itsunincorporated joint venture with the Commonwealth Scientific and ResearchOrganization in Australia. AccoyaTM is made through the acetylation of wood, a process which increases theamount of 'acetyl' molecules (which are present in all species of wood),delivering exceptional performance attributes. The process protects wood fromrot by making it inedible to most micro-organisms and insects without making ittoxic, unlike conventional treatments. AccoyaTM benefits from almost total dimensional stability: swelling andshrinkage are virtually eliminated and the wood is far less prone to cracking orwarping. In addition, AccoyaTM wood is more resistant to UV degradation,meaning that it retains its natural appearance longer and, when painted,requires less frequent maintenance. Scion chief executive, Dr Tom Richardson, says "Titan Wood leads the world inbringing acetylated wood to market and will progress the technology and use ourscience skills to enhance this process." "Titan Wood is specifically applying its technology to sustainably grown radiatapine, so uptake of this technology could open a new market for New Zealand pinein Europe and other countries, enabling its use in challenging externalapplications which have hitherto been the preserve of tropical hardwoods andartificial alternatives. This can only be good for New Zealand's radiata pineindustry." Dr Richardson says the potential value of the technology to industry is that itoffers the opportunity to shorten process cycle times and increase throughput ofwood undergoing the treatment, while potentially reducing costs. "The technology appeals to industry because of the overall cost improvements itoffers, as well as the fact that acetylated wood is an excellent substitute forCCA-treated wood, increasingly scarce and expensive tropical hardwoods andartificial alternatives." Edward Pratt, CEO of Titan Wood, added: "Titan Wood's technology is the resultof over 15 years of continuous process development. The company's large-scalepilot plant is the only one of its kind and has been in operation since 1999. Inthe last few years we have radically developed our technology and thepossibility of the incremental improvements offered by Scion's technology isexciting." "We are very close to completing the world's first full-scale commercialproduction plant for AccoyaTM. This plant will provide much needed supplies ofhigh performance wood to our customers across Europe, as well as acting as ademonstration of the process for those companies wishing to add value to theirproducts and create new market outlets. The agreement we have reached withScion will enable us to further strengthen our market position and, inconjunction with our own scientific effort, to continuously enhance ourtechnology offering for licensees around the world. It also demonstrates ourabsolute commitment to the business and to leadership in this field." -ENDS- For further information, please contact: Accsys Technologies PLC Willy Paterson-Brown +44 (0) 20 7598 4040 www.accsysplc.comCollins Stewart Limited Michael O'Brien /Tim Mickley +44 (0) 20 7523 8000Parkgreen Communications Justine Howarth / Ana Ribeiro +44 (0) 20 7493 3713 Background Scion is a New Zealand Crown Research Institute that has been recognised as aleader in forestry science since its beginnings as New Zealand Forest ResearchInstitute in 1947. Through its Biomaterials Strategy, Scion has extended itsresearch programmes to encompass the development of new biomaterials fromrenewable resources in order to meet growing consumer demand and increasingglobal needs. Ensis is an unincorporated joint venture between Scion and Australia's CSIRO. Itis made up of six business units providing science solutions for every part ofthe forestry value chain from sites in Rotorua and Christchurch in New Zealand,and seven sites across Australia. Titan Wood Limited Titan Wood was formed in April 2003 by Accsys Technologies PLC, a UKenvironmental science and technology company specialising in the development ofa range of transformational technologies that offer the potential forsubstantial improvements in the cost and environmental impacts for a range ofeveryday materials. Titan Wood owns intellectual property rights for a process, based uponacetylation, which transforms the properties of softwoods and low durabilityhardwoods, making them as durable as the best tropical hardwoods and deliveringperformance attributes superior to most artificial alternatives in climateexposed conditions. Titan Wood believes that its technology will transform the use of wood inexisting applications where durability and dimensional stability are valued,both halting the decline in the use of wood and substituting plastics andmetals. Titan Wood also expects to create entirely new product opportunitiesfor wood in applications which are presently entirely the preserve ofunsustainable materials. The wood modification process, which is ideally suited to sustainable,plantation-grown softwoods, is undertaken at Titan Wood's large-scale pilotplant in Arnhem, the Netherlands. Titan Wood's new full scale manufacturingplant is expected to go into operation in late 2006 and will supply localmarkets and act as a platform for technology licensing and international jointventures with other wood growing and processing businesses, thus enablingproduction of AccoyaTM around the world. AccoyaTM is a registered trademark of Titan Wood Limited. 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