Strategic Update

Molecular Energies PLC

25 October 2023

 

25 October 2023

MOLECULAR ENERGIES PLC

("MEN" or the "Company")

Paraguay Drilling

Strategic Pivot

Sustainable Aviation Fuel

Molecular Energies PLC (AIM: MEN), the international energy company, provides an update relating to its activities.

Paraguay Drilling

Final on-site commissioning of the drilling rig is taking place. The Company understands from the drilling company that the repaired blow out preventer ("BOP") has passed its operational tests in Brazil, from where it is due to be shipped, and is currently expected to be on site at or around the end of the second week of November.

The BOP is a critical safety component of the drilling rig and MEN will not authorise any drilling activities unless it receives certification, and the rig passes its final on-site safety tests. MEN now targets spudding the Tapir x1 well in November and will provide further updates as appropriate.

The well if successful will potentially unlock a complex of prospects, estimated by the Company to contain in aggregate over 260 MMbo of Pmean Unrisked Resources. Accordingly, whilst MEN stresses the exploration risks with the estimated chance of success of 17% even using a conservative recovery factor of 5% and a conservative oil price of US$70 per barrel, the potential of the prize makes this exploration well compelling.

Strategic Pivot

It is expected that cash flow from the recent sale of the Argentine hydrocarbon assets will commence during 2024, providing an uplift to MEN's financial position. Thereafter, and irrespective of the outcome of the Paraguay exploration programme, the Company intends to focus its attention and resources increasingly on originating and developing alternative energy projects of scale with attractive long-term returns.

MEN will therefore evolve into an alternative energy investment and trading house, utilising funds to invest in businesses operating in areas where MEN and its core management have significant hands-on expertise, experience and traction. This will build on the success of the successful AIM listing of Atome Energy, a MEN incubated business and now a 20.5% investment in which MEN management has demonstrated the creation of shareholder value based on the Company's position in Paraguay.

This strategy will continue with Green House Capital Group, in which MEN has a material interest, and which is a developer, and operator of alternative energy businesses, all of which have near term income generation projects and can be independent, capable in due course of being separately funded without recourse to their parent company, whilst still benefitting from Group and sister businesses' synergies and intercompany trading.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel ("SAF")

MEN is also pursuing its interest in SAF which, if proved feasible, would be a major project and which, like Atome Energy and Green House Capital would in due course follow the pattern of being a potentially valuable investment for MEN. SAF is a must-have fuel for the future of aviation, particularly that made with green hydrogen. MEN is in a favorable geographic and cost position and has the know-how and commercial contacts to drive this project forward.  

In the last few days, the ReFuelEU Aviation directive has been signed by the European Union meaning that, from 2025, SAF from green hydrogen must be used in increasing amounts by all planes leaving EU airports. As a result, MEN views this as a significant business opportunity.   

Aecom, the international engineering consultancy, is already engaged in the early-stage feasibility plan, with discussions with feedstock, technology and offtake partners commencing. It is the intention of MEN that, if the project is found to be technically and economically feasible, to collaborate with an industry/strategic financial partner on a project funding basis, capitalising on MEN's strategic position and capabilities. Certain potential parties are already known to MEN through its own and sister companies' activities.

Conclusions

MEN intends to build at scale and expeditiously a global investment and energy related projects factory with far reach and an impressive body of management, contacts, experience, and wider group facilitation.

MEN expects to make further announcements in the near future.

Peter Levine, Chairman, commented: "The Company has a pipeline of potentially large scale and lucrative new energy projects that, subject to finance, can develop at pace. Our competitive advantage lies in our management, experience, contacts and geographic footprint. This secret sauce places Molecular in a unique position for a company of its market size, allowing us to punch well above our weight.

"For the immediate future, we have an exploration oil well to drill in Paraguay and Green House Capital to progress."

For more information, please visit www.molecularenergiesplc.com or contact:

Molecular Energies PLC Peter Levine, Chairman Rob Shepherd, Group FD	[phone] [e-mail]
Cavendish Capital Markets Limited (Nominated Advisor and Broker) Simon Hicks, George Dollemore	[phone]
Tavistock (Financial PR & IR) Simon Hudson, Nick Elwes, Charles Baister	[phone]

Notes to Editors

Molecular Energies PLC is an AIM listed company at the forefront of energy development and has interests across the energy spectrum, from an oil and gas project to the green and alternative energy sector.

The Company currently has an oil exploration asset in Paraguay. The Company has two separate subdivisions which are focused on early-stage opportunities in the green and/or alternative energy sub-sector.

Activities in the green and alternative energy space are being carried out direct through Molecular and under the Green House Capital brand and through AIM listed Atome Energy PLC, a green hydrogen, ammonia, and fertiliser company operating in Paraguay, Costa Rica and Iceland, in which Molecular currently has 20.5%.

With a strong strategic and institutional base of support, no third-party financial debt and a Chairman whose interests as the largest shareholder are aligned to those of its shareholders, Molecular gives UK investors access to an energy growth story combined with world class standards of corporate governance, environmental and social responsibility.

The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 as it forms part of UK Domestic Law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("UK MAR"). The person who arranged for the release of this announcement on behalf of the Company was Robert Shepherd, Finance Director.

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