Director/PDMR Shareholding

ATOME PLC

08 January 2025

 

For immediate release

8 January 2025

ATOME PLC

("ATOME" or the "Company")

Director / PDMR Shareholding

ATOME (AIM: ATOM), the leading developer of international green fertiliser projects is pleased to announce an acquisition of shares by Peter Levine, the Chair of ATOME.

ATOME has been notified that Molecular Energies Limited ("Molecular"), the former parent company of ATOME prior to the Company's spin out and IPO in 2021, has transferred at the request of IYA Global Limited ("IYA"), a BVI registered company whose ultimate entire beneficial shareholder is Peter Levine, 1,000,000 ordinary shares in ATOME ("ATOME Shares") to the Levine Foundation and 1,038,038 ATOME Shares to Peter Levine, for a value equivalent to £1.02 per ATOME  Share, representing 4.2% of the entire issued share capital of ATOME in total and separately 2.14% in respect of Peter Levine.

As previously announced on 20 March 2023, the entire holding of Molecular in ATOME was charged to IYA as part of amended financial arrangements securing certain outstanding indebtedness owed by Molecular to IYA, pursuant to which Molecular also granted an option to IYA ("IYA Option") over 2,038,038 ATOME Shares (the "Option Shares") at a price of £1.062 per Option Share using the exchange rate of $1.20 to the pound. Using the current rate of currency exchange, this equates to a price of £1.02 per Option Share amounting to a transaction value for the Option Shares in aggregate of US$2.6m, representing a 119% premium over the share price of ATOME as at close of business on 6 January 2025.

Following the exercise of the IYA Option, Peter Levine is now beneficially interested in 8,731,667 ATOME Shares representing 17.99% of the issued share capital of the Company, comprising 3,542,771 ATOME Shares held directly, and a further 1,630,000 ATOME Shares held in trust for the benefit of Peter Levine by Alpha Energies Invest GmbH, and 3,558,896 ATOME Shares held by PLLG Investments Limited (all of which is ultimately held in trust for Peter Levine).

Molecular now has a beneficial interest in 6,234,007 ATOME Shares representing 12.85% of the issued share capital of the Company.

Concert Party interest

Following the exercise of the IYA Option, the interest of the members of the Concert Party including Peter Levine, the Chairman and founder of ATOME (as defined in the Admission Document published on 17 December 2021), remains unchanged in aggregate at 37.841% of the existing issued share capital. As the members of the Concert Party currently hold more than 30% but less than 50%. of the Company's voting share capital, for so long as they continue to be treated as acting in concert, any further increases in the Concert Party's interests in Ordinary Shares are subject to the provisions of Rule 9 of the Takeover Code.

For more information, please visit https://www.atomeplc.com or contact:

ATOME PLC Nikita Levine, Investor Relations	[phone] [e-mail]
Beaumont Cornish (Nominated Adviser) Roland Cornish, Michael Cornish	[phone]
Stifel (Broker) Jason Grossman, Ashton Clanfield	[phone]
SP Angel (Broker) Richard Hail, Caroline Rowe	[phone]
FTI Consulting (Communications Adviser) Elizabeth Adams, Ben Brewerton	[phone] [e-mail]

About ATOME

ATOME PLC is an AIM-listed company targeting green fertiliser production with 445-megawatt of projects in Paraguay and a further pipeline of potential projects in Central America.

ATOME's first project in Villeta, Paraguay, benefits from a 145MW renewable power purchase agreement and 43 hectares of land in a tax-free zone. Front End Engineering Design studies have been completed and Heads of Terms signed with Yara International, the leading international fertiliser company, for offtake of all of Villeta's green fertilizer production. The Company is now negotiating the project finance with a view to commencing work in early 2025. There is a further 300MW of renewable power reserved for ATOME in Paraguay.

In Costa Rica, The National Ammonia Corporation S.A. was formed in 2022 with local partner Cavendish S.A. based in Costa Rica to develop green fertiliser projects for the region. As well as straddling the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, Costa Rica is a democratic Central American country. In agriculture, Costa Rica is the second largest supplier of pineapples in the world and is in the top ten banana growers.

All power for ATOME is from 100% renewable sources and all chosen sites are located close to the power and water sources and export facilities to serve significant domestic and then international demand.

The Company has a green-focused Board which is supported by major shareholders including Peter Levine, Schroders, a leading fund manager, and Baker Hughes, a global technology company operating in the energy and industry sectors.

Other information

Beaumont Cornish Limited ("Beaumont Cornish") is the Company's Nominated Adviser and is authorised and regulated by the FCA. Beaumont Cornish's responsibilities as the Company's Nominated Adviser, including a responsibility to advise and guide the Company on its responsibilities under the AIM Rules for Companies and AIM Rules for Nominated Advisers, are owed solely to the London Stock Exchange. Beaumont Cornish is not acting for and will not be responsible to any other persons for providing protections afforded to customers of Beaumont Cornish nor for advising them in relation to the proposed arrangements described in this announcement or any matter referred to in it.

APPENDIX

	1	Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated
	a)	Name	Peter Levine
	2	Reason for the notification
	a)	Position/status	Chairman
	b)	Initial notification/Amendment	Initial notification
	3	Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
	a)	Name	ATOME Plc
	b)	LEI	13800PLO4T7BYXL5I51
	4	Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted
	a)	Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument Identification code	Ordinary shares of 0.2 pence each ISIN: GB00BP4BSM10
	b)	Nature of the transaction	Exercise of option over existing Ordinary Shares
	c)	Price(s) and volume(s)	Price(s) Volume(s) £1.02 1,038,038
	d)	Aggregated information - Aggregated volume -    Price	n/a (single transaction)
	e)	Date of the transaction	7 January 2025
	f)	Place of the transaction	Outside of a trading venue

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