PERTH, AUSTRALIA; 21 JUNE 2016: Hazer Group Ltd (ASX:HZR, HZRO) is pleased to announce the appointments of Dr Andrew Harris as a Non-Executive Director of the Company and Dr Andrew Minett as the Chairman of Hazer’s newly created Science Advisory Committee.
These two appointments provide Hazer with in depth commercial and technical capability to assist the Company in further developing the Hazer Process.
APPOINTMENT OF DR ANDREW HARRIS AS NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:
Dr Andrew Harris is a global expert in renewable energy, sustainability, biomimicry, nanotechnology, process engineering and the hydrogen energy economy. He is the lead Director of the Engineering Excellence Group, Laing O’Rourke’s internal engineering and innovation team. Laing O’Rourke is one of the world’s largest privately owned engineering and construction companies, with annual revenues of $8 billion, 15,000 staff and operations in Europe, North America, the Middle East, Asia and Australia. The Engineering Excellence Group was established to be a global centre of excellence, to transform Laing O’Rourke’s capabilities through strategic innovation, research and development, and enhanced technical performance.
Dr Harris is also Professor of Chemical and Bimolecular Engineering at the University of Sydney and co-director of the Laboratory for Sustainable Technology, the state of art laboratory where Hazer has established its core development activities for the Hazer Process. Dr Harris was the youngest ever professor of Chemical Engineering appointed at the University of Sydney.
Dr Harris was previously the Chief Technology Officer of Zenogen Pty Ltd, a Sydney based hydrogen production technology company, and was a co-founder of Oak Nano, a University of Sydney start-up commercialising novel carbon nanotube technology that designed and built the largest carbon nanotube production facility in the southern hemisphere.
Andrew holds a PhD in engineering from the University of Cambridge and undergraduate degrees in engineering and science from the University of Queensland. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers and Engineers Australia and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Hazer’s Chairman, Mr Rick Hopkins, welcomes Andrew to the Board:
“The Board is delighted with Andrews’s appointment, his extensive experience in industrial engineering and the application of innovation in industry, as well as hydrogen and graphite research will be invaluable as the Company further develops the Hazer Process.”
APPOINTMENT OF DR ANDREW MINETT AS CHAIRMAN OF NEWLY CREATED SCIENCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE:
The Company is also excited to announce the creation of a Science Advisory Committee (SAC), which will provide advice to the Board on scientific and technical matters, and make recommendations regarding Hazers research development strategies and commercial opportunities.
The first appointment to the Committee is of Dr Andrew Minett as Chairman. Dr Andrew Harris will also play a key role within the committee.
Dr Minett is an Associate Professor of the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the University of Sydney and is a co-director of the Laboratory for Sustainable Technology where Hazer conducts core development activities – In May this year, Hazer and the University of Sydney finalised an ongoing research collaboration, which has enabled Hazer to rapidly accelerate the scale-up work necessary for ongoing commercialisation of the Hazer Process.
Dr Minett is also the Energy Theme Leader and Deputy Director of the Energy Storage Flagship within the Australian Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology at the University of Sydney. Dr Minett’s expertise includes nanomaterials processing for electrodes and device fabrication of fuel cells, electrolyzers, rechargeable batteries and supercapacitors.
Andrew holds a PhD in Materials Chemistry from the University of Wollongong and has Prior to joining Hazer, Andrew also chaired the Scientific Advisory Board of start-up company Zenogen.
Dr Minett commented on his appointment and the Hazer technology:
“The potential of the Hazer Process is significant, and I am excited to be involved in the commercialisation of the technology as Chair of the newly created Scientific Advisory Committee. My expertise in battery technologies, functional nano-materials and sustainable energy has clear synergies with the Hazer vision and I believe the technology has the potential to disrupt the status quo of both the Hydrogen and Graphite markets”