Leclanché S.A.

Earnings Release • Mar 1, 2013

News Details

Ad-hoc | 1 March 2013 07:02

Leclanché SA obtains a time extension of its bridge loan

Leclanché SA / Key word(s): Miscellaneous

01.03.2013 07:02

Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 KR

Press Release

Leclanché SA obtains a time extension of its bridge loan

• Financial Results to be announced on Tuesday March 5, 2013

Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland, 1 March 2013 - Leclanché S.A. (SIX Swiss
Exchange: LECN), specialized in the production of large-format lithium-ion
cells and energy storage solutions, announced today that Bruellan Corporate
Governance Action Fund ('Bruellan') has agreed to defer the maturity date
of its bridge loan to Leclanché from March 31 to June 30, 2013, or such
earlier date as to coincide with a refinancing of the Group.

This extension will provide Leclanché with additional flexibility to
proceed with its financing program. The company believes that it will also
enable Leclanché SA and Leclanché GmbH to pursue their activities until the
end of April 2013. In addition to a capital increase, Leclanché is also
investigating other financial and strategic alternatives to cover its
medium term funding needs. In this respect, the company has appointed
Kepler Corporate Finance as financial advisor.

Leclanché had announced on November 23, 2012 that its German subsidiary,
Leclanché GmbH, had obtained a EUR 5 million/CHF 6 million bridge loan from
Bruellan to cover its short term funding needs. The loan is secured with
assets of Leclanché GmbH. The parties have agreed that following a capital
increase to raise further funds for Leclanché SA the lender shall have the
right to convert the loan into shares of Leclanché SA and that the lender
shall be awarded warrants to purchase shares of Leclanché SA.

Leclanché's full-year 2012 financial results will be published on Tuesday
March 5, 2013. An analyst and investor meeting will take place the same day
at 14:15 in Zürich. A live audio webcast of the meeting will be accessible
on the Leclanché web site: www.leclanche.ch. A replay of this
teleconference will be made available one hour after the conference on the
Leclanché web site. A separate invitation will be issued for this meeting.

About Leclanché

Leclanché's strategy is to expand its position as one of the leading
lithium-ion cell producers and solution providers for renewable energy
storage systems in Europe. Its strategic priorities are stationary home
electrical energy storage applications and expansion into the stationary
industrial and grid electricity storage markets. Through participation in
research consortia focusing on hybrid and E-mobility applications,
Leclanché is positioned to take advantage of new market opportunities.

Through a unique, patented ceramic separator technology and focus on
lithium-titanate technology, Leclanché manufactures large-format
lithium-ion cells, optimized for safety and cycle-life, in a fully
automated production process. The newly installed production line will have
an annual capacity of 1 million cells or 76 MWh.

Leclanché was founded in 1909 in Yverdon-les-Bains. Through the integration
of a spin-off from the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in 2006, the company evolved
from a traditional battery manufacturer to become a leading developer and
manufacturer of lithium-ion cells in Europe. Leclanché currently employs
120 staff and is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (LECN). The company has
its headquarters in Yverdon-les-Bains (Switzerland) and production
facilities in Willstätt (Germany).

www.leclanche.eu

Media contact:

Christophe Lamps, Dynamics Group S.A.: Telephone: +41 79 476 26 87,
cla@dynamicsgroup.chcla@dynamicsgroup.ch

Disclaimer

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to
Leclanché's business, which can be identified by terminology such as
'strategic', 'proposes', 'to introduce', 'will', 'planned', 'expected',
'commitment', 'expects', 'set', 'preparing', 'plans', 'estimates', 'aims',
'would', 'potential', 'awaiting', 'estimated', 'proposal', or similar
expressions, or by expressed or implied discussions regarding the ramp up
of Leclanché's production capacity, potential applications for existing
products, or regarding potential future revenues from any such products, or
potential future sales or earnings of Leclanché or any of its business
units. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Such
forward-looking statements reflect the current views of Leclanché regarding
future events, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from any
future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such
statements. There can be no guarantee that Leclanché's products will
achieve any particular revenue levels. Nor can there be any guarantee that
Leclanché, or any of the business units, will achieve any particular
financial results.

01.03.2013 News transmitted by EquityStory AG.
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Language: English
Company: Leclanché SA
Av. des Sports 42
1400 Yverdon-les-Bains
Switzerland
Phone: +41 (24) 424 65-00
Fax: +41 (24) 424 65-20
E-mail: investors@leclanche.com
Internet: www.leclanche.com
ISIN: CH0110303119, CH0016271550
Swiss Security Number: A1CUUB, 812950
Listed: SIX

End of Announcement EquityStory News-Service

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