Coskata, Inc. Forms Strategic Alliance with ICM to Design and Build Commercial Ethanol Plants

Alliance Combines Committed Leadership in Renewable Energy Development

WARRENVILLE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Coskata, Inc., a leading developer of next-generation ethanol, today announced a strategic alliance with ICM, Inc. to design and construct a commercial ethanol plant using Coskata’s biological fermentation technology.

“Aligning with ICM on one of our first commercial plants is a natural choice because of their unrivaled biofuels technical knowledge and ability”

ICM is North America’s leading ethanol plant design, engineering and support firm. Its patented proprietary process technology is responsible for approximately 50 percent of North American ethanol production from plants constructed by Fagen, Inc. and ICM.

The first Coskata plant, expected to open in late 2010, will be the staging ground for the world’s first mass-produced next-generation ethanol. The location of Coskata’s first facility will be announced at a later date.

“Aligning with ICM on one of our first commercial plants is a natural choice because of their unrivaled biofuels technical knowledge and ability,” said Bill Roe, president and CEO of Coskata. “This strategic alliance moves us a step closer to the arrival of Coskata’s next-generation ethanol in the marketplace.”

“Coskata and ICM will speed the commercialization of a process that will convert biomass into advanced biofuels from a number of renewable materials, at a production cost of less than $1 a gallon,” Roe said.

Using patented microorganisms and efficient bioreactor designs, Coskata uses a unique three-step conversion process that turns virtually any carbon-based feedstock, including biomass, municipal solid waste, bagasse, and other agricultural waste into ethanol. The technology is globally applicable. The process is environmentally sound, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by as much as 84 percent compared to gasoline, as well as generates up to 7.7 times as much net energy as is required to produce the ethanol, according to Argonne National Laboratory.

“In addition to ICM’s own research and development efforts, ICM evaluated other potential cellulosic ethanol technologies to identify commercially viable processes,” according to Dave Vander Griend, president and CEO of ICM. “Coskata’s thermal biomass conversion process offers promising technology.”

“It has always been ICM’s mission to help sustain agriculture through innovation,” Vander Griend said. “Coskata’s production process makes them a valuable ally as we continue to pursue advancements in renewable technology towards the creation of advanced and cellulosic biofuels as directed by the recent Energy Bill.”

About ICM: By harnessing the strength of more than 750 hard-working, creative thinkers and focused visionaries, ICM engineers, builds, and supports the industry’s leading ethanol plants. Founded in 1995, ICM is headquartered in the small agricultural community of Colwich, KS, located just outside of Wichita. ICM also serves as a leading ethanol industry advocate. For more information, visit www.icminc.com.

About Coskata: Coskata is a biology-based renewable energy company that is commercializing technology to produce biofuels from a wide variety of feedstocks. Using proprietary microorganisms and transformative bioreactor designs, the company projects that it will be able to produce ethanol for less than $1.00 per gallon almost anywhere in the world from a wide variety of feedstocks, based upon continued successful future development. Coskata has compiled a strong IP portfolio of patents, trade secrets, and know-how and assembled a first-class team for the development and commercialization of its compelling syngas-to-ethanol process technology. For more information, please visit www.coskata.com.