What's planned for NCF in 2018 (based on the recent Alan Kohler interview)
Huge opportunity for hydrogen cars (which is of great interest to Japan) – the technology can make hydrogen out of the waste product of a power station for example.
We have huge gas deposits in Australia. When you drill a gas deposit, three things come out: natural gas, CO2 and H2O. The CO2 is normally vented back into the atmosphere (which is bad), and the H2O is usually pushed back down into the well or left on the surface. VIV’s tech investment can take this H2O and CO2 which would otherwise go to waste, and make more gas. This makes it substantially more profitable, and environmentally sustainable by not venting CO2 into the environment.
What do they think it’s worth? Looking at the valuation and what it can do (ie. it literally makes 400 million dollar plants substantially more profitable and gives them a sustainability tick) it’s probably worth considerably more than what it’s valued at today on the balance sheet.
It’s not unrealistic to consider that the 33% holding is worth as much as VIV’s current market cap. (25 million)
Stay tuned, a new global CEO for NCF has been identified, could be announced anytime.
CSIROhave included NCF technology in their 2017 Low Emissions Technology Roadmap (the same report used to help Australia meet its 2030 emissions reduction target and guide the Australian Government on potential investment opportunities)
NewCO2Fuels was one of only five CO2 capture technologies mentioned (and one of only two that have actually been validated), and the only technology in the report designed for fuel production that can be retrofitted to existing facilities (steel/gas/coal) at a profit.