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 25 April 2023

Hydrogen Utopia International PLC

 (the "Company" or "HUI")

Appointment of Atkins as Planning and Environmental Consultants for Longford, Ireland site

Hydrogen Utopia International PLC, a company specialising in turning non-recyclable mixed waste plastic into hydrogen and other carbon-free fuels, new materials or distributed renewable heat, is pleased to announce the appointment of WS Atkins Ireland Limited ("Atkins") as planning and environmental consultants in respect of its anticipated waste plastic to hydrogen facility, in Co. Longford, Ireland (the "Longford Project"). Atkins, a member of the SNC Lavalin Group, is one of the world's leading design, engineering, and project-management consultancies. Atkins has appointed MKO in Galway, Ireland's largest planning and environmental consultancy, with which it has worked very successfully on projects in the past, to work as part of its Longford Project team. 

Atkins and MKO will advise HUI's Irish subsidiary, Alister Future Technologies (AFT) Limited, on the planning and environmental requirements and planning strategy for the Longford Project. They will project manage the necessary planning application and will also advise on the necessary environmental requirements and reports and the preliminary engineering requirements necessary to secure the requisite planning permission. The Atkins and MKO teams will work in conjunction with the HUI team and Duncan Snelling, HUI's engineering consultant, who is primarily responsible for delivering the Longford Project. It is currently anticipated that completion of the requisite reports, plans and application will cost in the region of EUR100,000.

An approximate €169 million of funding is envisaged to be rolled out in the Irish Midlands under the EU Just Transition Fund in the next few years. It is currently expected that Longford, being a county in the Irish Midlands, and heavily affected by the winding down of the labour-intensive peat industry and transition to a green and circular economy, will be one of the prime beneficiaries.

The Board is of the view that this appointment constitutes a major step forward in the realisation of the Longford Project.

Aleksandra Binkowska, CEO of HUI, commented: 

"I would like to thank Aideen Darmody, our Irish representative and Duncan Snelling, our engineering consultant. Aideen's hard work and wide network of contacts have been pivotal to creating the opportunity that led to the signing of this agreement. Duncan's expertise in energy project management has been instrumental in securing Atkins appointment. Ireland is a priority for HUI and I am delighted that we have gotten so far in such a short period of time. As George Bernard Shaw wrote: 'You see things; you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say 'Why not?'." 

Guy Peters, Executive Chairman of HUI, commented:

"The Atkins and MKO teams have successfully delivered some great renewable energy projects in Ireland and have access to a huge depth of technical resource and expertise. We are looking forward to working with them to deliver a successful project in Longford."  

Brian McKavanagh, Business Development Director, Atkins Ireland commented:

"HUI are accelerating the global move to net zero with their innovative approach to the reuse of a waste product as an alternative energy source. This is entirely aligned with Atkins Net Zero Business aspirations, and we are delighted to be part of the team."     

For more information about the Company, please refer to our website: www.hydrogenutopia.eu 

For further information  please contact: 

Hydrogen Utopia International PLC

Aleksandra Binkowska/Guy Peters                

+44 20 3811 8770     

Alfred Henry Corporate Finance Limited (LSE Corporate Adviser)

Nick Michaels                                                

+44 20 7309 2203

Novum Securities Limited (Broker)                                                                    

Jon Belliss/Colin Rowbury                              

+44 20 7399 9400

About Hydrogen Utopia International PLC

HUI aims to become one of the leading new European companies specialising in turning non-recyclable mixed waste plastic into hydrogen and other carbon-free fuels, new materials or distributed renewable heat.

A HUI facility uses non-recyclable mixed waste plastic as feedstock and turns it into syngas from which new products and energy can be produced. HUI anticipates that its revenues will be derived from a variety of sources, dependent upon location and configuration of the HUI facilities, including the sale of syngas, hydrogen and other gases, electricity and heat sales, and the payment to it of fees for a given quantity of non-recyclable mixed waste plastic received at a HUI facility.

HUI will target areas where there is significant private sector interest or potential, financial backing is accessible and or where substantial EU and/or government funded sources of grants and loans are or may be available. The global increase in fossil fuel-based energy prices reinforces the need for alternative, price competitive energy sources, which HUI's business model can provide.

About Atkins

Atkins (www.atkinsglobal.com), a Member of the SNC-Lavalin Group, is one of the world's most respected design, engineering and project management consultancies, employing over 18,300 people across the UK, North America, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and Europe.

About SNC-Lavalin

Founded in 1911, SNC-Lavalin (snclavalin.com) is a fully integrated professional services and project management company with offices around the world dedicated to engineering a better future for our planet and its people. We create sustainable solutions that connect people, technology and data to design, deliver and operate the most complex projects in key strategic sectors such as Engineering Services, Renewables, Nuclear, Operations & Maintenance and Capital