Orbite Provides Corporate Update
2019年1月31日 - 6:05AM
Orbite Technologies Inc. (NEX: ORT.H) (“Orbite” or the “Company”)
today provided an update on its progress in implementing the
solutions to resolve the issues encountered with the calcination
equipment at its HPA Plant, as part of its plan to emerge from CCAA
protection.
Definitions of the capitalized terms used herein
can be found at the end of this press release.
Update on Outotec Calcination
Equipment
- Following the settlement transaction with the calcination
equipment supplier in July, the technical teams of both Outotec and
the Company mobilized in August 2018 to progress on the detailed
engineering and the order of the materials required for the
modifications to the calcination equipment.
- Simultaneously, Orbite completed the design of the changes to
the upstream sections of the HPA Plant resulting from the
modifications to the calcination equipment.
- The detailed engineering and the order of materials for the
modifications to the calcination equipment and to the upstream
sections of the HPA Plant are now materially complete.
- All long lead items have been ordered and the critical path
remains the delivery and the installation of the refractory bricks
and specialty components required for certain modifications inside
the decomposer. They have arrived in Quebec and delivery at the
site is slated for this week, as originally planned.
- Replacement of the refractory bricks will start during the
month of February 2019 and the modifications to the calcination
equipment are expected to be completed at the end of March
2019.
- Accordingly, the Company plans on starting up the
hydrometallurgical section of the HPA Plant in February 2019 to
subsequently re-commence the production of ACH crystals required to
feed the pyro metallurgical section (decomposition and calcination)
which is expected to be started up at the beginning of the second
quarter of 2019.
- The required modifications, to both the calcination equipment
and upstream sections of the plant, are being carried out by both
Orbite personnel and outside contractors and are progressing as per
project plan and within budget. However, disbursements were
incurred more slowly than anticipated which allowed Orbite to
extend its cash flow until March 2019.
- In order to implement the above, the Company has progressively
recalled its engineering and operating/maintenance personnel. The
recall and hiring of operating personnel will continue during the
first quarter of 2019 in preparation for the start-up of
operations.
Update on Financial
Situation
- As previously disclosed, the Company is in advanced discussions
with third parties for additional funding of approximately $2.7
million.
- According to the Company’s cashflow projections filed with the
CCAA Court, such additional funds would extend the cash flow into
June 2019 and allow the Company to finalize the modifications to
the calcination equipment, start-up the HPA Plant and produce a
limited quantity of HPA to demonstrate the Plant’s capacity. It is
then expected that the production activities will be put on hold
while Orbite emerges from CCAA protection.
- As announced on October 4, 2018, the customary audit of the
Government of Québec for the 2016 ITC was completed. Orbite
received an additional installment of $3.8 million in December from
the Government of Québec towards its 2016 ITC claimed. To date, a
total of $8.8 million has been received and deposited in a
segregated account and serves as security for the convertible
debentures issued in August 2016. The audit for the amounts claimed
as ITC for 2017 is now under way.
CCAA Court extends the Stay
Period
As announced on July 16, 2018, the CCAA Court
issued an order pursuant to the CCAA providing for a Stay Period
until February 1, 2019. On January 30, 2019 the CCAA Court granted
a motion filed by the Company and issued the following orders:
- extending the Stay Period until March 8, 2019; and
- relieving Orbite from its obligation to call the annual meeting
of shareholders on or before March 15, 2019 and directing Orbite to
call such annual meeting, as the case may be, by October 31,
2019.
The Company will provide further updates as
developments occur.
There can be no guarantees that Company will
otherwise be successful in its restructuring efforts and will
emerge from CCAA protection.
Definitions
CCAA: Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act.
CCAA Court: Quebec Superior Court.
HPA Plant: the Company’s high purity alumina
(HPA) plant, in Cap-Chat, Québec.
ACH: aluminum chloride hexahydrate, the
precursor to high purity alumina.
ITC: Québec Investment Tax Credits related to
equipment purchased by Orbite for manufacturing and processing in
the Gaspé region.
Stay Period: Period of time during which there
is a stay of all proceedings against the Company.
About Orbite
Orbite Technologies Inc. is a Canadian cleantech
company whose innovative and proprietary processes are expected to
produce alumina and other high-value products, such as rare earth
and rare metal oxides, at one of the lowest costs in the industry,
and in a sustainable fashion, using feedstocks that include
aluminous clay, kaolin, nepheline, bauxite, red mud, fly ash as
well as serpentine residues from chrysotile processing sites.
Orbite is currently in the process of finalizing its first
commercial high-purity alumina (HPA) production plant in Cap-Chat,
Québec and has completed the basic engineering for a proposed
smelter-grade alumina (SGA) production plant, which would use clay
mined from its Grande-Vallée deposit. The Company's portfolio
contains 15 intellectual property families, including 45 patents
and 20 pending patent applications in 11 different countries and
regions. The Company also operates a state of the art technology
development center in Laval, Québec, where its technologies are
developed and validated.
Forward-looking
statementsCertain information contained in this document
may include "forward-looking information". Without limiting the
foregoing, the information and any forward-looking information
include statements regarding projects, costs, objectives and future
returns of the Company or hypotheses underlying these items. In
this document, words such as "may",” confident”, "would", "could",
"will", "likely", "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend",
"plan", "estimate" and similar words and the negative form thereof
are used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking
statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance
or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of
whether, or the times at or by which, such future performance will
be achieved. Forward-looking statements and information are based
on information available at the time and/or the Company
management's good-faith beliefs with respect to future events and
are subject to known or unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions
and other unpredictable factors, many of which are beyond the
Company's control. Risks, uncertainties and other factors that
could affect anticipated results and future events also include,
but are not limited to, those described in the section of the
Management's Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) entitled "Risk and
Uncertainties" as filed on July 28, 2017 on SEDAR, including those
under the headings “Going Concerns”, Commercial Operation of HPA
Plant”, “We will need to raise capital to continue our growth” and
“Development Goals and Time Frames” described in the MD&A filed
on March 31, 2017.
The Company does not intend, nor does it
undertake, any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking
information or statements contained in this document to reflect
subsequent information, events or circumstances or otherwise,
except as required by applicable laws.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE
CONTACT: Orbite Technologies Inc.Geneviève Marchand,
Corporate SecretaryTel.: 450 680-3341Email:
info@orbitetech.com
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