Torrey Hills Honored for Innovative Mine-Safety Technology

Company to transfer game-changing tools and processes from R&D to commercialization phase for mine safety and greenhouse gas reduction

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Joyce Zhang
(858) 558-6666
kkuang@torreyhillstech.com

( SAN DIEGO, CA, November 8, 2012) -- Torrey Hills Technologies, LLC has been named a finalist in the 2012 World Technology Awards competition for its innovative methane-gas-capturing process to dramatically improve safety in underground coal mines. The prestigious World Technology Network (WTN) awards, presented in association with TIME, Fortune, CNN, Science/AAAS, Technology Review and others, have been called ¡°the Oscars of the technology world.¡±

Corporations and individuals in 20 categories are nominated by their peers for the annual awards. Along with Torrey Hills, Siemens and Qualcomm CEO Paul E. Jacobs were among this year¡¯s finalists. Other nominees included Apple, Google, IBM and AT&T.

As a finalist in the Energy category, Torrey Hills automatically gains membership in the WTN-- a global community of individuals and corporations who are exploring what is imminent, possible and of lasting significance in emerging technologies. ¡°This is a great honor for a small company like ours. It also speaks volumes about our lifesaving invention, which addresses the devastating problem of exploding methane gas in underground coal mines and on oil rigs,¡± said Ken Kuang, founder and president of Torrey Hills Technologies.

On an annual basis, methane gas explosions claim the lives of thousands of miners and generate an estimated $45 billion in economic losses worldwide. Torrey Hills is developing novel methane capture and recovery techniques to supplement ventilation, which is the only established and proven technology for alleviating methane problems. Since modern coal mines have complicated underground networks, it is virtually impossible to ventilate every corner equally.

By developing inventive and affordable methane-capturing products and processes, Torrey Hills is targeting three critical global issues: preventing and mitigating gas explosions, capturing greenhouse emissions that damage the environment, and converting methane gas into liquid methanol, which is a clean fuel and a useful chemical raw material. The company has received two rounds of R&D funding from the National Science Foundation and is seeking investors for the commercialization phase.

Torrey Hills Technologies, LLC (http://www.torreyhillstech.com) is a leader in developing and delivering quality yet affordable equipment and supplies for multiple industries. Since its establishment, the company has expanded its business from microelectronics packaging components to large-scale furnace equipment for semiconductor packaging, circuit board assembly, advanced materials processing and solar cell (silicon, thin film, and 3rd generation dye sensitized solar cells) manufacturing. Headquartered in San Diego, Calif., the company now has customers located around the world in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.

###