Orbite Technologies Inc (EORBF)

[nagoya1]

Orbite Announces Second Quarter 2015 Results and
Provides Update on HPA Construction
Project on schedule to commence commissioning in Q3 and commercial production in Q4
Montréal, Québec. July 31, 2015 – Orbite Technologies Inc. (TSX: ORT / OTCQX: EORBF)
(“Orbite”, or the “Company”) announced today the filing of its Consolidated Interim Financial
Statements for the second quarter ended June 30, 2015. The Company reported a net loss of
$3.7 million (or $0.01 per share) for the second quarter, as compared to a net loss of $4.3 million
($0.02 per share) for the same period in 2014, representing a decrease of 12.7%. The company
also reported a net working capital of $8.5 million. All dollar amounts are in Canadian dollars
unless stated otherwise.
Second Quarter Highlights
• The Company completed several financing initiatives during the quarter towards the funding of
its HPA facility.
- A public offering of units in the amount of $10 million in a bought deal was closed on April
6, 2015, with a $5 million over-allotment option retained by EuroPacific Canada Inc., the
underwriter. Subsequently, on May 6, the Company announced issuance of additional
units for gross proceeds of $5 million as a result of the exercise by Euro Pacific Canada
Inc. of its over-allotment option.
- Orbite received a $2 million installment and announced it would be receiving an additional
$3.0 million installment from the Government of Québec towards its 2012 and 2013
Québec Investment Tax Credits, related to equipment purchased for manufacturing and
processing in the Gaspé region. The Company received or expects to receive shortly the
totality of the $25.7 million of tax credits due to the Company related to the 2012 and 2013
financial years. $25.0 million of these funds will be deposited in a segregated account and
serve as security for the convertible debentures issued in 2012. The remaining $0.7
million along with $0.2 million in related interest to be received will be applied towards the
financing of the HPA plant.
- The Company received confirmation from its tax advisors that it should be eligible to
receive up to $7.5 million in tax credit refunds for fiscal 2015, as well as be eligible to
receive investment tax credits for investments in the Gaspé region to be made in 2016
and 2017.
- Investissement Québec ("IQ") agreed to provide Orbite with a $5.0 million bridge loan,
collateralized against the Company's investment tax credits receivable for the year 2015.
- Orbite and Crede Capital, the holder of the Series Y Subscription Rights, mutually agreed
to terminate the Series Y Subscription Rights.
• Orbite shipped high purity alumina (“HPA”) samples to five prospective customers, thereby
entering their supplier qualification programs. The samples were produced using a modified
set-up of the existing calcination equipment at the Company's HPA facility in Cap-Chat.
• The Company received patents in both Canada and the United States pertaining to its Red
Mud Monetization technology, namely Canadian patent 2,857,574 and U.S. patent 9,023,301,
both titled Processes for Treating Red Mud.
• Orbite announced that it received notification from IP Australia of the granting and the delivery
of patent 2012308068 pertaining to Processes for preparing alumina and various other
products.
• Orbite announced that effective June 17, 2015, the Company had changed its name to Orbite
Technologies Inc. to better reflect Orbite's current vision and growth prospects. Concurrently
with its name change, the Company's shares began trading under the "Industrial/Technology"
listing segment on the Toronto Stock Exchange, instead of "Mining".
• On June 18, 2015, the Company held its 2015 annual and special shareholders meeting
during which shareholders approved all of the resolutions proposed by management, including
the approval of the Company's newly implemented restricted share unit plan and deferred
share unit plan.
Subsequent events
• Orbite announced that the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) will evaluate Orbite's
High Purity Alumina (HPA) for use in lithium-ion battery separators in collaboration with
Orbite's Technology Development Center.
• On July 10, 2015, the Company received $2.7 million from the Government of Québec in
consideration of investment tax credits on the equipment purchased for manufacturing and
processing in the Gaspé region. The payment relates to the 2012 and 2013 financial year and
the Company expects subsequent payments to follow. At the date of publication of the
consolidated financial statements a total amount of $25,000,000 had been received and was
deposited in a segregated account to serve as security for the convertible debentures issued
in December 2012.
• On July 20, 2015, the Company drew $3.7 million on the $5 million bridge loan from
Investissement Québec. As of July 20, 2015, $6.7 million was drawn on the aggregate $8.03
million available.
HPA Construction Update (Recent pictures can be found in the Media section of Orbite’s
website www.orbitetech.com)
Further to the Company’s press release of June 12, 2015, refractory materials installation is now
materially complete.
Decomposer and Calciner
• Refractory installation process and internal prepping of the ovens at Cap-Chat commenced at
the end of March, as planned, with CNC Mechanical (2002) Inc. (“CNC”) and RHI Canada Inc.
(“RHI”).
• Replacement bricks were successfully precast using the new refractory material and refractory
installation in the calciner system auxiliary piping was completed at RHI in Boucherville and
underwent curing at Les Services Mobiles Thermetco’s (“Thermetco”) facility in Montreal.
• Installation of refractory materials (bricks, mortar, and castable) in the calciner, decomposer
and piping under technical oversight from Outotec and refractory suppliers is now materially
complete. One last small section of the calciner floor will be cast August 1.
• A four-week heating and curing process of the refractory in both ovens will thus commence
the first week of August and will be carried out by RHI/Thermetco.
Steam Piping
• Shop prefabrication of specialty alloy piping, required for the high-temperature steam supply to
the decomposer and calcinator is ongoing, and onsite installation is to commence in August,
as planned.
Lined Piping
• Prefabrication of lined piping (acid duty) is ongoing and delivery to site for installation is
scheduled for August, as planned.
All piping, including utilities
• Bids for installation of all piping have been received and the contractor has been selected. The
Company is in the process of finalizing contractual agreements with the selected company
and site installation work will commence in early August.
Mechanical
• CNC, who successfully installed the decomposer and calciner, has been on site on a
continuous basis installing minor and major mechanical equipment. This segment of
construction is proceeding as planned and is expected to be concluded by in August.
Electrical and Instrumentation
• Contract was awarded to Les entreprises d’électricité JMN Inc. from Matane (Québec).
Electrical work, including installation of the main inlet transformer and the Outotec electrical
supply system, has commenced and will continue until start-up.
Structural, buildings and foundations
• Foundation work was awarded to Les Entreprises Roy Duguay & Associés from Cap-Chat. All
major exterior foundations (hydroxide silo, cooling tower, new building extensions, etc) are
completed. Major equipment foundations inside the plant have also been completed.
• The structural and building contracts were awarded to Atelier de Soudure Gilles Roy Inc.
(“ASGR”) from Amqui (Québec). Prefabrication of the new building extensions, to house the
crystallizer heat exchangers and the electrical control room for the calcination system, is
complete. Onsite installation commenced in June and is proceeding as planned.
• ASGR is also presently completing various internal modifications to the structure as well as
the installation of equipment and personnel platforms.
Ventilation and Insulation
• The bid evaluation process for supply and installation of insulation on calcination equipment
and high temperature piping and vessels and for the installation of a new ventilation system is
complete. The Company is negotiating final contractual agreements with the selected
contractors and installation will begin in August.
Procurement, Schedule and Budget
• Delivery dates for the majority of critical long lead items continue to be respected by suppliers.
• Orbite anticipates commencement of commissioning in Q3 2015, and the start of commercial
production in Q4 2015.
• The project is tracking on budget.
Operational Readiness
• Operating personnel have completed a 40-module operations training program, representing
approximately 275 training hours per person to date. Practical operations training commenced
in late June and will continue through commissioning and start-up.
• Health and Safety and Emergency Response Plans for continuous operations have been
completed and continue to be implemented.
• Commissioning and start-up procedures continue to be finalized by project and operations
personnel.
Samples Production Update
Feedback on purity and chemical composition of samples sent to date is positive. Prospective
customers would also like to test HPA that is more representative of full-scale, commercial
production, notably relative to mechanical properties.
Orbite subsequently modified its existing calcination equipment and process to mimic more
closely the new permanent setup. New samples were produced at Cap-Chat, and are now
undergoing final calcination. These new samples are even more representative of the Company’s
intended final products and are to ship late August-early September.
Furthermore, following the start-up and commissioning of the milling equipment at Cap-Chat, to
be carried out in August, Orbite intends to prepare additional samples meeting certain specific
potential customer requirements relative to particle size and distribution. These samples are
expected to ship in October.
“We are making steady progress towards the completion of our HPA plant,” stated Glenn Kelly,
CEO of Orbite. “The work on our calcination system is materially done, and we are now working
on the auxiliary systems to integrate the calcination system with the rest of the plant. We are on
the home stretch now, with the finishing line in sight. Modifying our existing calcination system,
though time consuming, has enabled us to accelerate the qualification process with a number of
potential customers. The fact that we have been invited to supply additional samples, more
representative of what we anticipate to be our output once HPA2 is operational, validates our
assumptions that there is demand in the market place for suppliers who are able to provide a
consistent supply of high-grade HPA.”
“During the quarter we made further progress towards shoring up our capital structure and
continue to pursue funding that will have the least dilutive impact on our shareholder base. We
are confident of concluding the funding required to complete our plant and the period beyond,
when we can start focusing on our existence as a commercial, revenue generating entity, and
accelerate our waste monetization strategy.”
Summary of Q2 2015 Financial Results
Revenues and earnings
The Company is a development stage company and has no revenues.
Net loss for Q2 2015 decreased by $0.55 million to $3.7 million, or from $0.02 per share to $0.01
per share, as compared to the same period in the prior year. The decrease in net loss was due
primarily to a reduction in financing costs and other expense, offset partially by an increase in
HPA plant operating expenses, reflecting increased activity at the Company’s HPA facility.
Net loss for the six months ending June 30, 2015 fell by $2.3 million to $6.4 million, as compared
to the same period in 2014. The reduction in net loss was attributable mainly to a $1 million
reduction in General and Administrative expense and a reduction in financing costs and other
expense.
Financial position
Cash and short-term investments
As at June 30, 2015, the Company had aggregate cash and short-term investments balance of
$4.1 million, and positive working capital (current assets less current liabilities) of $8.5 million.
Investment tax credits and other government assistance receivable
Investment tax credits and other government assistance receivable increased by $2.3 million
during the six-month period compared to December 31, 2014. The increase is mainly due to the
recognition of the 2015 investment tax credits, receivable on the equipment purchased for
manufacturing and processing in the Gaspé region.
Restricted cash
Restricted cash increased by $6.1 million during the first six months of 2015, compared to
December 31, 2014. These funds represent a portion of the refundable 2012 and 2013
investment tax credits, as well as the interest earned on such deposits, in a segregated account,
which serves as security for the 2012 convertible debentures. These funds will be released to the
Company according to the terms of the trust indenture agreement.
Property, plant, and equipment
Property, plant, and equipment (“PP&E”) increased by $6.9 million in the first six months of 2015
compared to December 31, 2014. The net increase results from $9.3 million, before investment
tax credits, invested in PP&E, partially offset by $2.3 million investment tax credits.
Short-term loan
Short term loan increased by $3.0 million during 2015 compared to December 31, 2014 due to
the receipt of the $3.0 million loan from Investissement Québec.
Cash Flow Statement
Cash Flows from Operating Activities
Cash flows used in operating activities increased by $1.0 million during the quarter ended June
30, 2015 compared to the same period of 2014, and decreased by $0.8 million during the first six
months of 2015, as compared to the same period in 2014. Cash flows used for operations, which
is cash flows used in operating activities, adjusted for certain non-cash working capital items and
net interest payments, decreased by $0.1 million and by $0.5 million for the quarter and the six
month-period ended June 30, 2015 respectively, compared to the same periods in 2014, while
cash flows used in non-cash working capital items increased by $1.1 million during the quarter
ended June 30, 2015, and decreased by $0.2 million for the six months ended June, 2015 as
compared to the same period of 2014.
The decreases in cash flows used for operations during the quarter and six-month period ended
June 30, 2015, are due mainly to a reduction in general and administrative expenses. The
increase in non-cash working capital items during the quarter ended June 30, 2015, is principally
due to investment tax credits and other governmental assistance receivable recognized during
the period.
Cash Flows from Financing Activities
Cash flows from financing activities increased by $2.9 million and by $2.0 million during the
quarter and the first six months ended June 30, 2015, respectively, as compared to the same
periods in 2014. The increase for the six-month period ended June 30, 2015 compared to the
same period in 2014 is due mainly to the net proceeds from the issuance of the 2015 convertible
debentures and short-term debt from Investissement Québec, partially offset by lower proceeds
from issuance of shares, warrants, exercise of options, and long-term debt.
Cash Flows used in Investing Activities
Cash flows used in investing activities increased by $3.8 million and by $0.8 million during the
quarter and the six months ended June 30, 2015, respectively, mainly due to increased
investments in the Company’s HPA plant construction.
Capital Resources
In order to finance ongoing construction and subsequent commissioning of its HPA plant, the
Company closed a $10 million bought deal on April 6, 2015 and an additional $5 million on May 6,
2015.
On June 19, 2015 Orbite entered into a loan agreement with Investissement Québec for up to
$5.0 million, collateralized against the Company’s investment tax credits to be received for fiscal
2015, which the Company’s tax advisors estimate at $7.5 million. This is in addition to the $3.0
million loan agreement entered into with Investissement Québec on January 13, 2015, and
collateralized against the Company’s 2014 investment tax credits. As of July 30, 2015, $6.7
million had been drawn from the available aggregate of $8.03 million.
Finally, with the receipt of a $2.7 million instalment related to the Company’s investment tax
credits for the fiscal years 2012 and 2013, the Company has a total of $25 million, as restricted
cash, pledged against the 2012 convertible debenture.
Orbite management will hold a conference call and provide a live audio webcast today, July 31,
2015 at 10:00 a.m. to discuss the Company’s financials and provide an update on the Company’s
HPA project.
The call will be held in English. The Q&A session will be in English and French.
CONFERENCE CALL DETAILS:
Date: July 31, 2015
Time: 10:00 a.m. (ET)
Dial in number: [phone]
[phone]
Webcast: http://bit.ly/1KiShn7
Taped replay: [phone]
[phone]
[phone]
Encore password: 91927016
Available until: 12:00 midnight (ET), Friday, August 7, 2015
Notice to Reader
The information provided in this press release is entirely qualified by the disclosures in the
Company’s Consolidated Interim Financial Statements and Management Discussion & Analysis
(MD&A) for the quarter ended June 30, 2015, which are available at www.orbitetech.com and
under the Company’s profile at www.sedar.com.
About Orbite
Orbite Technologies Inc. is a Canadian cleantech company whose innovative and proprietary
processes are expected to produce alumina and other high-value products, such as rare earth
and rare metal oxides, at one of the lowest costs in the industry, and in a sustainable fashion,
using feedstocks that include aluminous clay, kaolin, nepheline, bauxite, red mud, fly ash as well
as serpentine residues from chrysotile processing sites. Orbite is currently in the process of
finalizing its first commercial high-purity alumina (HPA) production plant in Cap-Chat, Québec and
has completed the basic engineering for a proposed smelter-grade alumina (SGA) production
plant, which would use clay mined from its Grande-Vallée deposit. The Company’s portfolio
contains 15 intellectual property families, including 18 patents and 107 pending patent
applications in 11 different countries and regions. The first intellectual property family is patented
in Canada, USA, Australia, China, Japan and Russia. The Company also operates a state of the
art technology development center in Laval, Québec, where its technologies are developed and
validated.
Forward-looking statements
Certain information contained in this document may include "forward-looking information".
Without limiting the foregoing, the information and any forward-looking information may include
statements regarding projects, costs, objectives and future returns of the Company or hypotheses
underlying these items. In this document, words such as "may", "would", "could", "will", "likely",
"believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "plan", "estimate" and similar words and the negative
form thereof are used to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should
not be read as guarantees of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate
indications of whether, or the times at or by which, such future performance will be achieved.
Forward-looking statements and information are based on information available at the time and/or
the Company management's good-faith beliefs with respect to future events and are subject to
known or unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other unpredictable factors, many of
which are beyond the Company's control. These risks uncertainties and assumptions include, but
are not limited to, those described in the section of the Management's Discussion and Analysis
(MD&A) entitled "Risk and Uncertainties" as filed on March 31, 2015.
The Company does not intend, nor does it undertake, any obligation to update or revise any
forward-looking information or statements contained in this document to reflect subsequent
information, events or circumstances or otherwise, except as required by applicable laws.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
NATIONAL Equicom
Marc Lakmaaker, External Investor Relations Consultant
Tel: [phone], ext. 248
Email: [e-mail]
For Media Inquiries:
NATIONAL Equicom
Scott Anderson, External Media Relations Consultant
Tel.:[phone], ext. 252
Email: [e-mail]