Bowman Power Systems Works with Top Japanese Firms to Establish Bowman Japan Co.

Business Editors & High-Tech Writers

SOUTHAMPTON, United Kingdom--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 18, 2000

Bowman Power Systems Ltd. (BPS), developer of clean and efficient microturbine co-generation systems, is currently working with three of Japan's largest companies to establish a joint venture company -- Bowman Japan Co. (BJC).

BJC will be owned and operated by Mitsui Co., Kubota, NTT-Facilities and Bowman Power Systems Ltd. The joint venture company will develop, market and distribute Bowman's combined heat and power (CHP) systems within the Japanese market.

"We are focused on being a significant player in the emerging distributed generation market in Japan by understanding and meeting the needs of the end users, and we are delighted to be working with such strong and committed partners," said Tony Davies, chief executive of Bowman Power Systems.

BPS is developing environmentally clean and highly efficient gas microturbine CHP systems. Two models, a 50kW unit and an 80kW unit, will be introduced by the end of this year. Both models will meet Japanese regulatory requirements, known industrywide as some of the strictest requirements in the world. In addition, BPS will introduce a 200kW class system into Japan by end of 2001.

With a robust offering of 50kW, 80kW and 200kW class CHP systems, BJC will serve a wide range of applications and customer needs in the burgeoning Japanese co-generation market. Along with the natural gas-fueled systems, BPS is planning to introduce future systems that are fueled by propane and kerosene.

In the microturbine industry, BPS is a world leader in utilizing microturbine technology for co-generation applications and is the first company to establish a dedicated local marketing venture with Japanese partners. BPS and the three Japanese companies will apply intensive marketing and continuous product improvement to achieve the leading position in the market.

According to the preliminary agreement, NTT-Facilities, Mitsui and Kubota will be responsible for marketing, maintenance, 24-hour surveillance and monitoring of the Bowman CHP systems. The three companies will also develop products specific to the Japanese market, provide financial services for customers, supply fuels, and offer other value-added and distribution services. By combining the special skills and resources of each company, the joint venture companies believe they can more successfully and quickly introduce BPS products to the Japanese market.

As the electric power industry is deregulated, it is forecast that market demand for distributed generation systems will rapidly increase, especially for energy-efficient CHP systems that meet increasing power demands, provide high efficiency and reliability, and deliver environmentally friendly power. Providing both heating and air conditioning from the waste heat of the microturbine, the Bowman CHP systems are well-suited for the diverse and demanding application needs of hotels, supermarkets, hospitals, sports centers and any other business entity that requires the efficient combined use of power, heating and cooling.

Bowman Power Systems was established in 1994 and has operating offices in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Further details and contact information can be found at www.bowmanpower.com.