Rentech's integrated bio-refinery project mechanically complete

Rentech, Inc. RTK -0.62% announced Nov. 8, 2011, that all systems required to start up the Company's integrated bio-refinery (IBR) in Commerce City, Colorado are mechanically complete. Commissioning, validation and start-up of the renewable energy demonstration facility are underway. The project has reached this milestone within the original budget and schedule.

The IBR project was co-funded by a $23 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, to manufacture and install at the Rentech Energy Technology Center a 20 ton-per-day Rentech-ClearFuels biomass gasifier. The gasifier is designed to produce bio-synthesis gas from various high impact wood waste and sugar cane bagasse feedstocks. The gasifier has been integrated with Rentech's existing Product Demonstration Unit (PDU) at the site, which uses the Rentech Process and UOP's upgrading technologies to produce renewable drop-in synthetic jet and diesel fuels at demonstration scale. Rentech expects the integrated facility, which will have the flexibility to produce renewable syngas, hydrogen, and steam as well as biofuels, will be used to evaluate additional technology integration opportunities. Rentech funded the balance of the project's total cost of approximately $36 million, which includes the cost of building the gasifier, feedstock handling equipment, integration with Rentech's synthetic fuels plant, and operation of the facility for a period of 6 months to collect 2,000 hours of operating data. The project team responsible for meeting this important milestone for mechanical completion included URS Corporation, Linde Group/Hydro-Chem, Piper Electric Corporation and Ames Construction, Inc.

The IBR is anticipated to produce certified renewable fuels in late 2011. This demonstration-scale project is expected to lead to the final design basis for commercial-scale facilities using the combined technologies, including for potential biomass-to-energy projects that are contemplated in the southeastern United States, Hawaii and Canada.

Dr. Harold Wright, Rentech's Chief Technology Officer, commented, "Achieving mechanical completion of the IBR demonstration facility on-time and on-budget leads the way for cellulosic fuels production at the PDU with the Rentech-ClearFuels gasifier and Rentech Process." Dr. Wright continued, "We're pleased to have a successful collaboration with the DOE, whose funding helped make this demonstration possible."

About Rentech, Inc.

Rentech, Inc. (www.rentechinc.com), incorporated in 1981, provides clean energy solutions. The Company's Rentech-SilvaGas and Rentech-ClearFuels biomass gasification processes can convert multiple cellulosic biomass feedstocks into synthesis gas (syngas) for production of renewable fuels and power. Combining the gasification processes with Rentech's unique application of syngas conditioning and clean-up technology and the patented Rentech Process based on Fischer-Tropsch chemistry, Rentech offers an integrated solution for production of synthetic fuels from cellulosic biomass. The Rentech Process can also convert syngas from fossil resources into ultra-clean synthetic jet and diesel fuels, specialty waxes, and chemicals. Final product upgrading and acid gas removal technologies are provided under an alliance with UOP, a Honeywell company. Rentech develops projects and offers licenses for these technologies for application in synthetic fuels and power facilities worldwide. Rentech, Inc. owns a majority interest and serves as general partner of Rentech Nitrogen Partners, L.P., a nitrogen fertilizer limited partnership. Rentech Nitrogen Partners, L.P. manufactures and sells nitrogen fertilizer products including ammonia, urea ammonia nitrate, urea granule and urea solution in the Mid Corn Belt region of the United States.