INEOS Enterprises and Great Plains Join Forces in Major Biofuels Partnership

Great Plains, the world leader in the science and agronomy of camelina, has pioneered its use as a key raw material in the production of biodiesel, which is quickly becoming the leading replacement for conventional fuel oils used in industrial and transportation applications. INEOS Enterprises will bring to the partnership a significant outlet for camelina through its ambitious strategy to become the premier global biodiesel supplier.

Camelina is a highly sustainable feedstock for biodiesel production in that it can be grown on marginal land and needs only limited supplies of water, fertiliser and pesticides. The crop, which is crushed for oil extraction, fits into existing agricultural operations as it can be planted and harvested using current equipment and systems. It will allow land not currently used to be brought back into production in many arid areas. A further benefit is provided through the camelina meal that remains after crushing, which is a protein rich animal feed to sustain agricultural livestock.

Comments Dr Harry Deans, CEO INEOS Enterprises: “This is a perfect fit with our ongoing expansion programme in biodiesel. Camelina is a highly sustainable raw material that will provide us with a platform for further development in this very important area, particularly in the American market.”

Sam Huttenbauer, President of Great Plains comments: “We are very excited by the prospects for camelina in applications for alternative fuels such as biodiesel. Having a partner like

INEOS Enterprises allows us to significantly accelerate our development programmes to establish camelina as a truly sustainable fuel crop.”

INEOS Enterprises is pressing ahead with its ambitious programme of investments in new world-scale biodiesel facilities globally, including a new production unit at Grangemouth, Scotland and expansion of its existing operations at Baleycourt, France. These facilities along with other planned investments in France, Germany and Belgium will provide INEOS Enterprises with more than 2 million tonnes of biodiesel output by 2012, with at least 1.2 million tonnes in place by 2010. Great Plains is currently progressing its own significant investment programme in dedicated camelina crushing operations in Montana, USA.

Through this partnership INEOS Enterprises and Great Plains share a common vision of developing their respective leading positions in biodiesel whilst providing the agricultural communities with a new and sustainable crop alternative. -INEOS