(October 2, 2012)  Washington – The Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC) is pleased to welcome Clariant as a new member.  Clariant Corporation is a global specialty chemicals company headquartered in Muttenz, Switzerland with operations in the United States. Süd-Chemie, now part of Clariant, has been developing its proprietary sunliquid® process since 2006, including the successful operation of a pilot plant since 2009. Clariant started operation of the largest cellulosic ethanol production facility in Germany in July 2012.

“Clariant is pleased to join the Advanced Ethanol Council, which has emerged very quickly as a leading voice for the advanced ethanol industry in the United States,” said Prof. Andre Koltermann, Group Vice-President of the Clariant Biotech & Renewables Center. “With our demonstration plant now operating, we are taking a major step towards the commercialization of our sunliquid® process and the deployment of climate-friendly cellulosic biofuels into the global liquid fuels marketplace including the United States.”

The Clariant demonstration facility, located in Straubing, Germany will produce up to 330,000 gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year specifically from wheat straw, corn stover and sugarcane bagasse.  The sunliquid® process is capable of producing bio-ethanol from a wide variety of agricultural residues and dedicated energy crops.

“We are one of the few companies in the industry with proprietary process and enzyme development under one roof,” stated Dr. Markus Rarbach, Head of Biocatalysis of Corporate R&D at the Clariant Biotech & Renewables Center.  “We believe that production of feedstock specific enzymes produced process integrated on-site, conversion of both C5 and C6 sugars into ethanol as well as process and energy efficiency in ethanol separation will allow the market to have both a technological and economical solution for the production of cellulosic ethanol.”

Clariant has recently started plans to commercialize the sunliquid® process in the United States and has opened an office in Des Moines, Iowa.

“We are very pleased to add Clariant to the Advanced Ethanol Council,” said Bill Brady, President and CEO of Mascoma and Chairman of the AEC.  “The Council is engaged in a number of areas that are absolutely critical to the evolution of advanced ethanol fuels and technologies, and it is encouraging to see the major players aligning from both an organizational and public policy perspective. It is clear that Clariant recognizes both the business opportunity for cellulosic ethanol in the United States and the urgency with which we must defend and enhance the programs that are pushing the industry forward. We look forward to working with the Clariant team.”

“This is a company with a clear track record in the global refining and chemicals space,” added Brooke Coleman, Executive Director of the AEC. “We are looking forward to working with Clariant on policy and other strategic initiatives that will help the industry meet its vast potential in the United States.”

The Advanced Ethanol Council (AEC), in partnership with the Renewable Fuels Association, represents worldwide leaders in the effort to develop and commercialize the next generation of ethanol fuels, ranging from cellulosic ethanol made from dedicated energy crops, forest residues and agricultural waste to advanced ethanol made from municipal solid waste, algae and other feedstocks.

The AEC is the only advanced biofuel group with the singular purpose of promoting advanced ethanol fuels and technologies. The executive members of the AEC include Abengoa Bioenergy, Beta Renewables, BlueFire Renewables, Coskata, Enerkem, Fulcrum BioEnergy, Inbicon, Iogen, Mascoma, and ZeaChem.