World Gold Council and Nanostellar Join Forces to Drive Automotive Demand for Gold

Partnership to develop new market for gold based emission control

technology

    REDWOOD CITY, Calif. and LONDON, Dec. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- World Gold
 Council (WGC), the organization responsible for driving global demand for
 gold, and Nanostellar Inc., a leading-edge developer of emission control
 technologies, have agreed to a long-term strategic partnership to enable
 the introduction of gold into the automotive catalyst market. Under the
 terms of the agreement, World Gold Council has invested in Nanostellar Inc.
 in order to facilitate the commercialization and marketing of the
 gold-based technology that could increase industrial demand for gold.
 
     Recently proclaimed a 2008 Technology Pioneer* by the World Economic
 Forum, Nanostellar has developed a new product, NS Gold(TM), a catalyst
 formulation for use in the automotive industry that for the first time
 includes gold alongside traditional platinum and palladium metals. The
 inclusion of gold enables manufacturers of light and heavy-duty diesel
 engines to reduce noxious emissions by as much as 40 percent more than
 existing pure platinum catalysts, enabling significant savings for
 automotive manufacturers. The potential to use gold in this type of
 application has long been considered, but until now the technical
 challenges concerning catalyst durability have prevented gold's use.
 Independent test results confirm Nanostellar's breakthrough which, if
 adopted by the automotive industry, could lead to an increase in industrial
 demand for gold, which in 2006 totaled 16.1 million oz. (458 tonnes).
 
     According to Johnson Matthey, during 2007, 4.24 million oz. (119
 tonnes) of platinum is expected to be used in automotive catalysts -- an
 increase of 2.3 percent from 2006. At current platinum prices of
 approximately $1,400-$1,450 per oz., the total value of platinum use in
 auto catalysts during 2007 is expected to exceed $6 billion. In recent
 years, Nanostellar and other producers of catalyst materials have
 introduced the use of palladium to partially replace the four-times more
 expensive platinum. Now, to further reduce the amount of platinum needed
 and the overall cost of the catalysts, Nanostellar has pioneered the use of
 gold -- which is nearly half the price of platinum -- for diesel emission
 control.
 
     Joining Nanostellar's existing equity investors, which include 3i,
 Khosla Ventures and Monitor Ventures, among others, WGC will also provide
 the company with significant marketing and business development support,
 designed to increase uptake of NS Gold among the global vehicle
 manufacturing community.
 
     James Burton, CEO of the World Gold Council, commented:
 
     "World Gold Council is delighted to be able to assist Nanostellar in
 its efforts to bring the first gold-containing auto catalyst products to
 the market. The auto catalyst market is a large and important one for the
 platinum group metal producers and we are excited to be entering this new
 arena. We are also pleased to see gold play a role in an application with
 undoubted environmental benefits."
 
     Pankaj Dhingra, CEO of Nanostellar Inc, commented:
 
     "Garnering the support of a globally respected organization like the
 World Gold Council speaks volumes about our proven technology and large
 market opportunity. WGC's marketing expertise coupled with our technical
 knowledge should prove a powerful combination in winning advocates for our
 new product."
 
     Nanostellar's innovation addresses the serious threats posed to the
 environment by pollution from automobiles, trucks and stationary engines.
 These threats are spurring governments in the US, EU, and other
 industrialized and developing nations to pass emissions legislation that
 sets incrementally stricter standards for emissions reduction. The demand
 for platinum in diesel emissions control has been rising year over year
 because of these stricter emissions standards in order to further improve
 air quality and rising vehicle production. However, platinum is the most
 expensive component of the diesel oxidation catalysts (DOCs) that are
 required to meet the new, stringent emission regulations for the 14 million
 light-duty and two million heavy-duty diesel vehicles produced annually
 worldwide.
 
     Auto catalysts use platinum group metals to control harmful elements in
 automotive exhaust. The major exhaust pollutants are carbon monoxide (a
 poisonous gas), hydrocarbons (from partially burned fuel that gives off
 diesel or petrol odor), particulate matter (or smoke -- which contains
 cancer causing compounds) and NOx (smog forming compounds).
 
     For further information on gold's uses in industry visit:
 www.utilisegold.com
 
 

     * To be selected as a Technology Pioneer, a company must be involved in
       the development of life-changing technology innovation and have the
       potential for long-term impact on business and society. In addition, it
       must demonstrate visionary leadership, show all the signs of being a
       long-standing market leader -- and its technology must be proven.
 
     For further information:
 
     Matt Graydon, Head of External Relations, World Gold Council, at
     + 44 (0)207 826 4716, or email: matt.graydon@gold.org
 
     Ross Perich, Trainer Communications for Nanostellar, at +1 925 556 5463 or
     email: nano@trainercomm.com
 
     Notes to Editors:
     World Gold Council
 
     The World Gold Council (WGC), a commercially-driven marketing
 organization, is funded by the world's leading gold mining companies. A
 global advocate for gold, the WGC aims to promote the demand for gold in
 all its forms through marketing activities in major international markets.
 For further information visit www.gold.org.
 
     Nanostellar
 
     Nanostellar, Inc. provides diesel automotive and stationary power
 industries with nano-engineered catalyst materials that reduce exhaust
 emissions and increase the effectiveness of precious metals in catalysts.
 Focusing on the fields of quantum computational nanoscience, chemistry,
 materials science, and chemical engineering, Nanostellar utilizes Rational
 Catalyst Design, which combines computational approaches with targeted
 experiments, to accelerate the development of materials. The World Economic
 Forum recognized the company's "life-changing technology innovation,"
 honoring Nanostellar as a 2008 Technology Pioneer. Headquartered in Redwood
 City, California, Nanostellar is funded by premier investors including 3i,
 Khosla Ventures, Monitor Ventures, Firelake Capital Management LLC, and
 AsiaTech Management. For more information, visit www.nanostellar.com.
 
 
 

SOURCE World Gold Council