Cirprotec is a pioneering company involved in the design and manufacture of lightning and surge protection devices, and is a leading player in this sector.

Mersen has announced an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Cirprotec, located in Terrassa, Spain

and specializing in lightning and surge protection.

Marc Vinet, Group Vice-President Electrical Power and a member of the Management Board, said, "We are warmly welcoming Cirprotec's team. Our powerful network and our ability to leverage sales in new markets combined with Cirprotec's product portfolio and world-class surge test platform will offer our customers the benefits of a unique expertise in power quality".

"The acquisition is an important step in our strategy," said Dean Cousins, Vice President, Strategy,
Marketing & Innovation for Mersen Electrical Power. "Cirprotec's expertise strengthens a market-leading
global platform to support our customers and channel partners."

"This new alliance with Mersen presents a new opportunity to expand the international market reach of
Cirprotec," said Carles Pons, founder of Cirprotec. "Additionally, the combination of our organizations
brings an excitement to launch innovative new product initiatives."

Performing a critical function in electrical protection, Surge Protection Devices (SPDs) provide protection
against damaging transient overvoltages in electrical installations and equipment. They are installed in
electrical power distribution and controls to mitigate the growing problems associated with power quality by
protecting increasingly sensitive and critical applications, in particular in automation, medical, or
photovoltaic energy.

Cirprotec is a pioneering company involved in the design and manufacture of lightning and surge protection
devices, and is a leading player in this sector. CPT does also provide consulting services and customized
solutions.

About Mersen
Global expert in high performance materials and equipment for extreme environments and the
safety and reliability of electrical systems, Mersen designs innovative solutions to customer
requirements, to optimize their industrial performance in high-growth sectors: energy,
transportation, electronics, chemical/pharmaceutical and process industries.

At Mersen, with our customer, we integrate our lectrical power components into their application to
make it safe and reliable.

- Overcurrent protection (fuses and fusegear)
- Surge protection
- Electronic systems for energy management
- Laminated Bus bars
- Cooling of power electronics
- Switches
- Power transfer for rail vehicles
- Wire Management
Come visit our web site www.ep.mersen.com
The Group is listed on NYSE Euronext Paris - Compartment B
(www.mersen.com)