MEDIA ADVISORY

Elevance Renewable Sciences Receives $2.5 million Grant From the U.S. Department of Energy

Bolingbrook, Ill. (Dec. 4, 2009) -- Elevance Renewable Sciences, Inc. announced today that the company is the recipient of a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to fund preliminary engineering design for a demonstration scale integrated biorefinery aimed at the production of high value specialty chemicals and advanced biofuels from renewable oils.

"Elevance is honored to be selected by the Department of Energy to receive these important funds. Support from the Department of Energy has been critical to advancing our company to where we stand today. A grant from the Department of Energy in 2004 provided the funding for the original research, and this grant will further accelerate the commercialization of our novel bio-refinery and the many renewable products it will produce," said K'Lynne Johnson, CEO of Elevance. "We look forward to commercializing a technology that can benefit the country and the entire chemical industry. We also wish to acknowledge and thank Congresswoman Judy Biggert for her support of our company and our growth."

Newton, Iowa is the preferred site for the project, but final site selection details have not been completed. Elevance intends to build an integrated biorefinery based on Elevance's core olefin metathesis technology. The ERS Biorefinery is a profitable asset at $45/barrel crude oil and delivers improved profitability of $300-900 per metric ton compared to traditional biodiesel plants. The process converts plant oils to multiple streams of high value specialty chemicals and produces enhanced biodiesel, as well as advanced biofuels including jet fuel and green diesel.

The demonstration scale biorefinery will help Elevance to understand the impact of feedstocks and recycle streams, as well as produce platform chemicals and fuels for market development and performance testing. It will also enable Elevance to develop a process model, which can be applied in the design of a commercial scale unit.

In addition to enabling critical technological advancements, Elevance also anticipates the creation of 40-50 construction jobs on-site at the pilot biorefinery, up to seven jobs as the biorefinery becomes operational, and additional growth of jobs at Elevance's Illinois based headquarters as the technology is commercialized.

"It's great to see how the amazing work being done right here in our community by scientific leaders like Elevance is bringing us closer to lasting energy solutions and creating jobs here in Bolingbrook and around the nation," said Biggert (R-IL-13), a senior member of the House Science and Technology Committee and Co-Chair of the House R&D Caucus. "I applaud the local scientists and engineers who have been working so hard to bring this cutting-edge bio-technology closer to full-scale commercialization, and I look forward to continuing my work with them in the future as we explore new and exciting ways to fuel America's economic engine."

About Elevance Renewable Sciences, Inc.

Based in Bolingbrook, Ill., Elevance Renewable Sciences, Inc. creates a wide range of specialty chemicals from natural oils. Using a Nobel Prize winning technology called olefin metathesis; the company creates high performance waxes, functional oils, anti-microbials, lubricants, additives and other chemicals. Elevance was named one of Business Week's Top 10 Most Successful Startups of 2008. To learn more about the company, visit www.elevance.com.