SEAIR SIGNS LETTER OF INTENT TO PROVIDE BALLAST WATER AND MARINE WASTEWATER SOLUTIONS
Edmonton, Alberta, July 24, 2008. Seair Inc. (SDS:TSX Venture Exchange) is pleased to announce it has entered into a letter of intent ("LOI") to form a new entity, Seair Marine, to develop and market ozone-based marine ballast and wastewater treatment systems. Seair is also pleased to announce successful initial testing results for Seair Marine's prototype ballast water treatment system.
Pursuant to the LOI, Seair Marine participants include Plasma Technics Inc. (developers of plasma block ozone generators), Guardian Manufacturing Incorporated (a leader in control system design and integration), C.E. "Bud" Leffler (executive with extensive experience in marine-based ballast and wastewater treatment applications) and Seair Inc. Under the terms of the non-binding LOI, each of the parties has agreed to assign exclusive access to their respective technologies, processes and expertise to Seair Marine for marine-based ballast and wastewater treatment applications. A more detailed news release respecting the structure and business of Seair Marine will be issued in due course.
The intake of ballast water leads to unintentional transportation of potentially invasive organisms to non-native ports. Left untreated, these organisms can have a very detrimental environmental impact when they are discharged along with the ballast water. In recognition of this, legislation is being introduced in the United States and internationally that mandates ballast water treatment. For example, on April 24, 2008 the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2008 that stipulates that in 2009 shippers must begin installing ballast water treatment systems that meet an interim standard in vessels that enter U.S. waters. If enacted, all ships are required to have ballast treatment systems on board by 2014. Water quality standards for the treated ballast water will be ten times more stringent than international standards that are set to take effect in 2015.
Seair Marine has developed and is currently testing a prototype of a diffused ozone-based ballast water treatment system. Testing will continue in both fresh and salt water locations, since the Seair Marine system is equally applicable in either situation. Test results will be submitted to regulatory authorities as part of the international certification program.
It is estimated that upwards of 40,000 ships will require retrofitting with ballast treatment systems by 2014, in addition to any new vessels built after 2008.
Bud Leffler, who has previously developed and installed first generation ballast treatment systems, states "I am confident that the Seair Marine system will emerge as the best available technology. Our design is safe and effective with very low operating costs, particularly since there are no consumables. The small footprint and automated processes will make it easy for customers to fit Seair Marine systems into their ships. After watching the ballast treatment market percolate for a number of years, I'm excited to be part of this exceptional team just as the global market starts to open up."
Adds Harold Kinasewich, Seair Inc.'s President and Chief Executive Officer, "having seen our system in action I am confident Seair Marine will win a significant share of this large emerging market. With system prices expected to range between $250,000 to over $1 million we look to ballast water treatment as a major financial growth opportunity for Seair and our partners."
About Guardian Manufacturing Incorporated
Since incorporation in 1993, Guardian has grown to be a leader in control system design and integration. They are a diversified company that's recognized as one of the leading providers of integration solutions and products for the automotive, home building products, space, entertainment, pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. Headquartered in Cocoa Florida, Guardian's reach is worldwide with products and systems installed throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, Thailand, China and Turkey.
About Plasma Technics Inc.
Plasma Technics, Inc. ("PTI"), incorporated in 1991, is a leading worldwide original equipment manufacturer ("OEM") supplier of cutting edge products to the ozone industry, such as high-quality inverters, high-voltage transformer products, and the revolutionary Plasma Block® ozone cell. This robust line of ozone generators withstands environmental conditions that destroy most conventional ozone systems. Reliable performance under temperature extremes, high operating pressure, and vibration enhances value. With UL and CSA approvals and a world-wide patent pending, this advanced product family is energy efficient, compact, safe and silent, making it an ideal match for marine applications. PTI is based in Racine, Wisconsin.
About C.E. "Bud" Leffler
Bud has been a V.P of Siemens Energy and Automation Service Co. and has also been the CEO of several private and public companies. He has patents on a number of devices, several on water treatment systems and on ballast water treatment in particular. His work on ballast treatment systems began over 10 years ago and he has successfully designed and tested several systems. He has led the efforts from the laboratory through land based testing. He had worked closely with Carnival Corporation and had developed a prototype system that was tested aboard the Carnival ship "Elation". This led to a contract for the first commercial sale of a ballast system to Carnival.
About Seair Inc.
Seair is a leading developer of patent-protected diffusion and sterilization technologies, which allow for the efficient diffusion of gases into liquids, thereby facilitating numerous applications in a wide variety of industries, including wastewater treatment, pulp and paper production, food processing, aquaculture, agriculture/horticulture, sterilization, golf course irrigation and pond treatment, animal enhancement and oil and gas. Seair's primary focus is developing and selling equipment that diffuses gases, such as oxygen, ozone or carbon dioxide, into a liquid, resulting in a supersaturated solution. The major difference between Seair's and others' diffusion technologies is Seair's ability to achieve extremely small bubble size, which in turn allows for the mass transfer of gas to fluid. The result is a stable condition, where gases remain in solution for extended periods of time, leading to increased productivity and lower operating costs. Seair provides diffusion-enhanced portable wastewater treatment plants through its subsidiary, Seair Septic.
This news release contains certain forward-looking statements that reflect the current views and/or expectations of Seair Inc. with respect to its performance, business or future events, and in particular with respect to the anticipated creation of Seair Marine Inc. and the probably market for ballast water treatment units. Such statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including but not limited to the ability of the parties to negotiate and enter into a mutually agreeable definitive agreement or agreements, the ability of Seair Inc. and Seair Marine Inc., if incorporated, to receive required governmental and regulatory approvals for the proposed transactions and the wastewater treatment units, and changes in national and international governmental policies relating to the installation of ballast water treatment units. Actual results and events may vary.
Parties interested in obtaining further information or receiving news releases and corporate documents from Seair may email such requests to seair@telus.net or visit the Seair website at www.seair.ca.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Harold Kinasewich
Seair Inc.
T: 780 477 7188
F: 780 477 6622
E: seair@telus.net
THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
