PETROTEC AG / Interim Report/Offer 20.11.2008 Release of a Adhoc News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Petrotec increases sales by 37 % IC Green Energy Ltd. future main shareholder with 42.83 % - Allocations to provisions for pending losses and impairment adversely effect results - Collection of used cooking oil increases by almost 50 % - 2008: Correction of guidance Borken, November 20, 2008 Petrotec AG (ISIN DE000PET1111), manufacturer of climate friendly biodiesel on the basis of used cooking oil, increased its total sales, compared to the previous year, in the first three quarters of 2008 by 37.4 % to 65.7m EUR. Sales increase in the third quarter by 53.8 %, as opposed to the third quarter 2007, to 24.7m EUR. This was primarily due to higher production and increased sales (to which also the new biodiesel plant in Emden contributed) and price effects. After the first nine months, significantly increased material costs together with allocations to provisions for pending losses have led to an EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation) of 14.4m EUR (previous year: -2.3m EUR). Due to impairments on intangible assets and current assets the EBIT (earnings before interest and taxes) for the months January to September amounts to -29.1m EUR (previous year: -38.9m EUR).The net result after taxes amounts to -28.7m EUR (previous year: -38.2m EUR) which results in an earnings per share (EPS) of -2.73 EUR (previous year: -3.64 EUR). Liquid funds per the end of the reporting period amounted to 4.1m EUR. The Management Board corrects the August 2008 guidance for the financial year 2008 and now expects sales of about 80m EUR (previously: 90m to 100m EUR) and a negative EBITDA of 18m EUR (previously -8m to -9m EUR). IC Green Energy future main shareholder with 42.83 % On 31 August 2008, IC Green Energy Ltd., Tel Aviv, Israel, has, in accordance with Sec. 10 para. 1 and Sec. 29 para. 1, 34 of the German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act (Wertpapiererwerbs- und Übernahmegesetz), announce that it purchased a total of 4,497,431 shares in Petrotec AG (approximately 42.83 % of the registered share capital) from Petrotec AG's major shareholder, Petrotec S.à r.l., on the same day. The consummation of the share purchase agreement was subject to antitrust approval from the competent authorities which has been granted in the meantime. On 22 October 2008, IC Green Energy Ltd. has published an announcement in the German Federal Electronic Gazette, that the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht) has prohibited an intended voluntary public takeover offer of IC Green Energy Ltd. pursuant to Sec. 15 para. 1 no. 1 of the German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act. On 18 November 2008, Petrotec AG has received a voting rights announcement (Stimmrechtsmitteilung) pursuant to Sec. 25 para. 1 of the German Securities Trading Act (Wertpapierhandelsgesetz). According to that, IC Green Energy Ltd. directly holds financial instruments which grant the right to acquire shares of Petrotec AG securitizing 4,497,431 voting rights. Thus, the relevant threshold of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 % of the voting rights in Petrotec AG would have been exceeded. According to the announcement, the financial instruments fall due on 1 December 2008. Thereupon, Petrotec AG has published the corresponding voting rights announcement pursuant to Sec. 21 of the German Securities Trading Act on 19 November 2008. Based on the voting rights announcement, Petrotec AG assumes that the share transfer will be executed on 1 December 2008, which would constitute the acquisition of control (Kontrollerwerb) pursuant to Sec. 35, 29 para 2 of the German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act and hence would generally trigger the obligation to conduct a mandatory takeover offer. Petrotec AG has furthermore been informed that IC Green Energy Ltd. is currently evaluating and having discussions with the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority about the prospects of an application for an exemption from a mandatory takeover offer pursuant to Sec. 37 of the German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act instead of publishing such mandatory takeover offer pursuant to Sec. 35 of the German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act. As Petrotec AG is not involved in this process, it is not in a position to comment neither on a mandatory takeover offer pursuant to Sec. 35 the German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act nor an application for an exemption pursuant to Sec. 37 the German Securities Acquisition and Takeover Act. Own collection of used cooking oil increased by 50 % In the first nine months Petrotec increased its own collection by almost 50 % as opposed to the previous period. Petrotec's subsidiary Vital Fettrecycling by now recycles used cooking oil of more than 16,000 restaurants and food producers in Europe. This growth results from internal effects trough the own sales team and co-operations as well as externally trough mergers and acquisition activities. In October Vital set up a subsidiary in France to expand the European recycling services. Biodiesel from used cooking oil allows for a reduction of 87 % in CO2 emissions The biodiesel Petrotec produces with its proprietary technology from the refined used cooking oil is by far the most climate-friendly and sustainable biodiesel that can be produced today. It is made from waste and does not compete with food production, as do fresh vegetable oils. The methodology used by the EU Commission for its EU Directive proposal on 'Promoting the Use of Renewable Energy Sources' and from the German Federal Government for its biomass regulation on sustainability (Biomassenachhaltigkeitsverordnung) confirms that biodiesel made from used cooking oils has a CO2 reduction potential of at least 87%. Meaning that biodiesel derived from used cooking oil contributes more than twice as much to avoiding CO2 emissions than does biodiesel based on rapeseed oil. Blending market dominates In the first nine months, the costs of material ratio have significantly increased to 99.4 % as opposed to the previous period with 87.9 %. This is mainly due to the higher price for used cooking oils and other feedstock. Petrotec sold the majority of its production into the blending market (B5) to mineral oil producers. Sales into the fuel market (B100) was lower than in the previous year since Petrotec committed most of its production capacity to the blending market and due to a reduced demand based on the increased tax of 15 Cent per litre on fuels since 1 January 2008. Sales-wise, the sales split for the first nine months into 61 % for the B5 business (previous year: 34 %) and 39 % for B100 contracts (previous year: 66 %). Assets and financial condition Petrotec AG's equity ratio as of 31 December 2008 was 44.1 % (31 December 2007: 63.6 %), and liquid funds were at 4.1 million EUR (31 December 2007: 20.5 million EUR). Petrotec's balance sheet total as of the end of the period where 51.7 million EUR, 29.3 million EUR less than as of 31 December 2007. In the third quarter Petrotec invested 2.9 million EUR preliminary in supplemental building activities in its new biodiesel plant in Emden. Preliminary due to the loss for the period net equity reduced to 22.8 million EUR (31 December 2008: 51.5 million EUR). Long term debt to banks remained unchanged at 18.1 million EUR as of the end of the period. Outlook: Loss impairments effect results for the financial year Markets for crude oil and agriculture raw materials have shown significant corrections at the beginning of the third quarter. Consequently, Petrotec can now react flexibly with its back-to-back strategy since the biodiesel contracts concluded at the end of 2007 terminated at the end of September 2008. Also, prices for used cooking oil have in the meanwhile significantly reduced to a level of about 400 EUR/ton even though they typically react with delay to changes in prices for unused oils due to an intransparent and heterogeneous market environment. Petrotec estimates that it will be in a position to sell significant quantities once the demand for FAME 0 for deliveries in 2009 increases. The Management Board corrects the annual guidance for the business year 2008 due to impairments and the current market environment. The Management Board now expects sales of about 80 million EUR (previously 90 100 million EUR) and a negative EBITDA of about 18 million EUR (previously 8 9 million EUR EBITDA) for the financial year. Disclaimer This press information constitutes neither an offer to buy or to sell shares or other securities issued by Petrotec AG, nor a solicitation of offers to buy or subscribe to securities. The shares offered during the IPO have already been placed. About PETROTEC Since November 2006, Petrotec AG has been listed in the Prime Standard segment of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under WKN PET111, ISIN DE000PET1111. Petrotec is one of the pioneers of the German biodiesel industry. The company started as early as 1998 with the development of a process to produce biodiesel from used frying and deep-frying oil. Petrotecs first industrial biodiesel production plant went turn-key in 2000. Petrotecs proprietary technology is capable of transforming virgin vegetable oils such as rapeseed, soybean or palm oil as well as hard-to-process oils and fats such as used cooking oils, animal fats and oils or fish oil in a single fully continuous process into biodiesel and, thus, is truly a multi-feedstock technology. The annual capacity of the plant in Borken (Westphalia), Germany, is 85,000 t biodiesel. In the first half of 2008 a second production has commenced operations in the deep-sea port of Emden with an annual capacity of 100,000 t. Unlike many of its competitors, Petrotec in its ongoing operations has for years now primarily produced biodiesel from used cooking oils in a fully continuous process. Treated used cooking oils as feedstock for biodiesel production is up to 50 percent cheaper to procure than the rapeseed oil predominantly used by Petrotec's rivals in Europe. This enhances Petrotec's cost-competitiveness over other manufacturers of biodiesel, as 70-90 percent of biodiesel production costs relate to raw materials. For further information, please contact PETROTEC AG Falk von Kriegsheim Head of Investor Relations / Public Relations Fürst-zu-Salm-Salm Strasse 18 46325 Borken Germany Tel +49 (0)2862 910060 Fax +49 (0)2862 9100760 Mobil +49 (0)173 6291344 f.kriegsheim@petrotec.de www.petrotec.de DGAP 20.11.2008 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Language: English Issuer: PETROTEC AG Fürst-zu- Salm-Salm-Str. 18 46325 Borken-Burlo Deutschland Phone: +49 (0)2862 9100 19 Fax: +49 (0)2862 9100 99 E-mail: info@petrotec.de Internet: www.petrotec.de ISIN: DE000PET1111 WKN: PET111 Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr in Berlin, München, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart End of News DGAP News-Service ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
DGAP-Adhoc: PETROTEC AG: Sales up 37%, new main shareholder IC Green Energy with 42.8%
| Source: EQS Group AG