UPDATE ON WASABI NEW ENERGY ASIA AND ISSUE OF SHARES
The Directors of Wasabi Energy Limited (ASX: WAS, AIM: WAS, OTCQX: WSBLY), advise that the next instalment of RMB18 million (US$2.85m) has been paid by its subsidiary, Wasabi New Energy Asia (WNEA), for the purchase of Shanghai Shenghe New Energy Resources Science and Technology Limited (SSNE).
As previously announced in November 2012, Wasabi, through its subsidiary, Wasabi New Energy Asia Limited, agreed to purchase 50.5% of SSNE for approximately US$30 million. To date US$22 million has been paid (US$8.2 million in cash, and WNEA has issued 30 million shares at US50c each). The balance of RMB53 million (US$8.30m) is due before 30 November 2013. WNEA has appointed an international brokerage house in Hong Kong to complete a pre-IPO fundraising within this timeframe. It is planned to list WNEA on the Singapore stock exchange in the first half of 2014.
Wasabi granted an option for the vendors to take 31.25% of their WNEA share consideration in Wasabi shares at A1.8c per share (WNEA Option). The vendors have exercised this option and as a result the vendors have been issued 288,001,844 new Wasabi shares at A1.8c per share.
Following the exercise of the WNEA Option, Wasabi owns 40 million shares (66.67%) in the issued share capital in WNEA. In addition, Wasabi has provided loan funds of $5.6m to WNEA in order to facilitate a proportion of the above payments. This loan will be converted into additional shares in WNEA at the time of the IPO at US50c per share.
Wasabi New Energy Asia is being established to address the energy efficiency and renewable power needs of the Asian market. SSNE has been operating within the market in China since 2007 and has already completed a number of projects including the successful powering of the Shanghai Corporate Pavilion at the World EXPO held in Shanghai in 2010 with a Kalina Cycle® power plant using a solar thermal array as the heat source.