Giant Euro Steps for Napier Products
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VANCOUVER, B.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 5, 2000--Napier International Technologies Inc. (TSE:NIR.)(www.napierintl.com) is pleased to report the continued progress of our industrial marketing efforts in Europe and the great results achieved in identifying and establishing an early strong presence in this market place directly through end users.
One of the major achievements, after several months of large scale tests, was the successful completion of a project involving one of the largest shipping fleets in the world and the complete removal of the coal tar epoxy coatings in the ballast tanks. We are very excited and proud that the use of Napier's paint removers represents a first time that ballast tanks were removed successfully by
chemical means and provided a complete replacement alternative for the currently used, expensive
and slow technologies such as Ultra High Pressure Water Blasting (UHP).
The ballast tanks are massive chambers within the hulls of all cargo ships that ensure floating
stability by balancing the weight and displacement of the cargo especially during ships voyage. These tanks are the largest infrastructural components of the ship and the integrity of the ship depends directly on the good condition of the ballast tanks. The coatings which protect the tanks from the corrosiveness of the seawater, have limited life and need to be removed and replaced regularly. This process allows the simultaneous inspection to monitor steel integrity.
The successful completion of this project started a wave of inquiries from major world fleets requesting product deliveries to Europe and Singapore by air and sea. Standard sample orders weigh 2-5 tonnes of product which is typically used stripping a portion of a single chamber within the ballast tanks.
Stavanger Industri AS based in Stavanger - Norway is now a partner and distributor for Napier's
products in Scandinavia, especially to the Off Shore Industry. The trials initiated in September of 1999
for coating removal on Off Shore Oil Drilling Platforms produced excellent results as well as the acceptance for efficacy and environmental safety with Phillips Petroleum, a giant oil producer with many platforms in the North Sea.
Phillips Petroleum has now commissioned Jotun Paint of Scandinavia, the main paint supplier to the Off Shore Industry to confirm Napier's tests for rinsability and re-coating performance. It is expected that within the next few weeill start supplying the first regular orders of product to this large industry.
The fact that there are several thousand platforms in the North Sea alone indicates the magnitude of this opportunity.
Since early spring of this year Danish based HEMPEL Company has charged Hempel of Norway with the task of identifying testing and recommending the best product for removal of antifouling marine paint. Hempel of Norway which has the strongest pleasure craft division in Europe has recently concluded that Napier's Marine Antifouling paint remover is the product of choice and as such it will
replace the current product manufactured and distributed by Hempel. The divisions of Hempel in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, UK and Greece are scheduled for the initial launch in October.
At the end of May of this year, the UK Navy has conducted together with a Napier technical team, large-scale trials for removal of antifouling marine paint on steel ships and minesweepers constructed of special plastic called GRP. The products performed well enough for the Navy to introduce Napier personnel to the largest independent UK contracting firm engaged with the UK Navy and commercial
fleets for ship refurbishing. We are currently working on educating personnel within the contracting firm to become familiar with our technology and to move this project to the next level.
In order to accommodate this level of activity in the European market, Napier is currently shipping four times the value of industrial products shipped to Europe in the entire previous 12 month period.
Napier sales personnel in Europe has increased since the beginning of June and we expect that more people will be needed to sustain the strong growth of Napier's products in this large and powerful market.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Bradley T. Aelicks, Chairman/Director
The Toronto Stock Exchange neither approves nor disapproves the contents of this news release which was prepared solely at the discretion of management.
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CONTACT: Napier International Technologies Inc.
Jason Cubitt or Don Mosher, 604/ 801-6664
E-mail: nir@direct.ca
Website: www.napierintl.com
KEYWORD: INTERNATIONAL CANADA EUROPE
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: BUILDING/CONSTRUCTION CHEMICALS/PLASTICS OIL/GAS |
