IntelliSAW Commercial Update

RNS Number : 2919L

Transense Technologies PLC

03 September 2012

 

RNS For Release: 3 September 2012

IntelliSAW Commercial Update

Three new pilots with significant market players

Transense Technologies plc ("Transense") (AIM: TRT), the provider of sensor systems for the transportation and industrial markets, is pleased to announce that its trading division, IntelliSAW, a leading provider of next generation wireless sensor systems for smart grid applications, has continued to see strong demand for its innovative wireless/passive temperature monitoring solutions. This has resulted in the recent commissioning of three new pilot installations of its IS485 electrical switchgear monitoring systems with major industrial companies.

The pilot systems were installed at sites owned by Petrobras in Brazil, currently the fifth largest energy company in the world, Southern China Grid, a major regional power company supplying 230 million people, and the Gujarat State Electricity Corporation (GSECL) in India, which runs twelve power stations. Until now all pilot installations have been carried out by the IntelliSAW technical team, however the new pilot at the Southern China Grid site was carried out by a regional partner. As more of IntelliSAW's channel partners gain expertise in the product this will allow for significant scaling in the rate at which new sites can be added.

Scheduling pilots at such large and complex industrial sites presents significant logistical challenges, as the costs associated with lost operational time dictate that installations can only be carried out during scheduled periods of downtime. In addition, there are stringent performance and safety targets to meet given the critical nature of monitoring such key electrical assets which can result in extended periods of testing being required. However, given these challenges, the Company has been encouraged by the willingness of customers to undertake these pilots and believe this is a testament to the benefits the system provides.

Recent high-profile news stories relating to power grid failures in India are serving to demonstrate the pressing need to maximise the capacity of existing high capital cost infrastructure. The IntelliSAW solution meets this problem head-on, providing continuous real-time monitoring of switchgear temperatures, the leading indicator of potential failure in the switchgear cabinets. Previously announced pilots are continuing and the Company looks forward to these leading to full deployments as customer testing programmes are successfully concluded.

Graham Storey, CEO of Transense, commented, "The new pilots announced here are very encouraging both in terms of potential  volume sales and the anticipated aggressive rollout schedule, where we are  hopeful of making progress at several new sites this calendar year."

For further information, please contact:

Transense Technologies plc	Tel: [phone]
Graham Storey, Chief Executive
N+1 Brewin - Nominated Adviser Aubrey Powell, Robert Beenstock	Tel: [phone]
Hybridan LLP - Broker	Tel: [phone]
Claire Noyce, Deepak Reddy
Newgate Threadneedle	Tel: [phone]
Caroline Evans-Jones, Robyn McConnachie

Notes to Editors

About Petrobras

Petrobras operates in 27 countries, on five continents. It operates as an integrated energy company in these sectors: exploration and production, refining, trade and transportation of oil and natural gas, petrochemicals, distribution of oil derivatives, electricity, biofuels, and other sources of renewable energy. Its 2012-2016 business plan foresees investments in the order of $236.5 billion.

It has upwards of 100 production platforms, 15 refineries, 30,000 kilometers of pipelines and more than 6,000 service stations. Its proved reserves are around 14 billion barrels of oil, a figure expected to double in the next few years with the discovery of oil and gas in the pre-salt region.

It has built a track record of overcoming challenges since 1953, when the company was created. The main one was developing technology to explore and produce oil in deep and ultra-deep waters, where upwards of 90% of our reserves are nestled. Petrobras' Research Center is the biggest in Latin America, and is in constant growth.

Petrobras is the fifth biggest energy company in the world Source: PFC Energy (january/2012)

http://www.petrobras.com/en/about-us/

About China Southern Power Grid (CSG)

China Southern Power Grid Co., Ltd (CSG) was established in 2002 after the power sectors deregulatory reform. CSG invests, constructs and operates power networks in Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou and Hainan provinces and regions. This is a service area of one million square kilometres with a population of 230 million.

http://eng.csg.cn/

About Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL)

Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL) was incorporated in August 1993 and is registered under the Companies Act, 1956 with the objectives to initiate a process of restructuring of the Power Sector and to mobilise resources from the market for adding to the generating capacity of the State and improving the quality and cost of existing generation.

http://www.gsecl.in/

About IntelliSAW

IntelliSAW, a trading division of Transense Technologies plc (AIM: TRT.L), develops and markets patent protected wireless, passive surface acoustic wave (SAW) based sensing systems targeted at challenging industrial applications. Its IS485 family of products provides temperature monitoring of critical electric power switchgear equipment in Smart Grid applications.

IntelliSAW's proprietary solution is wireless and does not require any power to the sensors, affording ease of installation and system commissioning while avoiding introducing any arcing or flashover concerns. Moreover the IntelliSAW system outputs data directly onto existing communication networks using standard protocols, allowing for instantaneous monitoring and control.

The IS485 platform brings an advanced feature set as compared to legacy solutions on the market today, including twelve independent sensor frequencies and four antenna connections per reader which combined allow for up to 48 sensors per system. Further innovative advances in interrogation protocols, differential sensor topology, and microcontroller architecture serve to resolve a number of known issues with existing solutions including sensor drop-out, challenging system set-up processes, positional dependence of sensor calibration, and non-compliance to high voltage application environments.

www.intellisaw.com

About Transense Technologies

Based in Oxfordshire, UK, Transense has developed patent-protected sensor systems for use in diverse high growth markets. Developed in conjunction with partners including McLaren Electronic Systems and General Motors, Transense's Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW), wireless, battery-less, sensor systems offer significant advantages over legacy wireless sensor systems. Via two wholly owned divisions, IntelliSAW and Translogik, Transense is targeting the high growth global electrical Smart Grid applications market and the transport industry respectively.

Transense's sensors are also being used in the wind turbine monitoring industry. The Company is part of a consortium of nine companies ("IntelWind") that has begun development on a major EU funded project to improve the efficiency and reliability of wind turbines.

Transense's shares are admitted to trading on AIM, a market operated by the London Stock Exchange (AIM:  "TRT").

www.transense.co.uk

 

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