Chromatin Signs Multi-Year Agreement with Aemetis to Supply Locally-Grown Sorghum for Ethanol Production

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Chromatin, Inc., a leading provider of innovative crop breeding technology, sorghum seed products and feedstocks, and Aemetis, Inc. (OTCPK: AMTX), an advanced fuels and renewable chemicals company announced today that they have entered into a multi-year agreement to source locally-grown grain sorghum. Under the agreement, Chromatin will engage local growers to plant its hybrid grain sorghum on up to 30,000 acres, and Aemetis will use that sorghum in its Keyes, CA, facility to produce Advanced Biofuels.

“As Aemetis is currently transitioning from traditional to advanced feedstocks at our Keyes plant, this partnership with Chromatin represents a key step in our ability to source locally grown grain sorghum for the production of advanced biofuels”

“This agreement with Aemetis is an important step in Chromatin’s commitment to market high quality sorghum hybrids for the production of Advanced Biofuels feedstocks,” Chromatin Chief Executive Officer Daphne Preuss said. “We are pleased to partner with Aemetis, who has already demonstrated that using sorghum can provide considerable advantages for ethanol production.”

“As Aemetis is currently transitioning from traditional to advanced feedstocks at our Keyes plant, this partnership with Chromatin represents a key step in our ability to source locally grown grain sorghum for the production of advanced biofuels,” said Eric McAfee, Chairman and CEO of Aemetis. “By working with Chromatin and California farmers to source local grain sorghum, Aemetis will lower its carbon intensity in the production process, and further the goals of California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) as well as the federal Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS),” added McAfee.

Aemetis previously reported that it is seeking EPA approval to use grain sorghum to produce Advanced Biofuels, generally defined by the EPA as fuels that contain less than 50% of the carbon intensity of gasoline through the use of advanced feedstock, bio-methane, and combined heat and power. To increase the availability of sorghum in the local California market, Chromatin is providing growers with hybrid sorghum seed that can be used as an effective double crop alternative behind wheat or in rotation with cotton and vegetable crops. Growers have praised sorghum as an easy substitute for corn because it is easy to grow, uses less fertilizer and water and is tolerant to both heat and drought conditions. In addition, the residue from the harvest of sorghum grain can be used to produce biogas or as high quality animal feed.

By using locally grown sorghum, Aemetis is expecting to further reduce its carbon footprint and enhance the stability of its supply chains. California-grown sorghum has proven to be cost competitive and energy efficient.

About Aemetis, Inc.

Aemetis, Inc. is an advanced fuels and renewable chemicals company headquartered in Cupertino, California. Aemetis owns and operates a 55 million gallon renewable fuels plant in California; and owns and operates a 50 million gallon renewable chemicals and advanced fuels production facility on the east coast of India. Aemetis is the first global licensee of the Chevron Lummus Global Biofuels ISOCONVERSION Process to produce 100% replacement jet and diesel fuel from plant and algal oil feedstock. Aemetis operates a research and development laboratory at the Maryland Biotech Center, and holds five granted patents and four licensed patents on its Z-microbe and related technology for the production of renewable fuels and chemicals. For additional information about Aemetis, please visit www.aemetis.com.

About Chromatin, Inc.

Chromatin Inc. develops sorghum for both traditional agriculture and applications in renewable energy. It provides high quality sorghum seeds to growers and producers who are attracted to the crop’s rapid maturation, tolerance to heat, cold and drought and high yields. Chromatin has optimized its product portfolio to create sorghum feedstocks that serve as ideal renewable resources for emerging bio-based industries such as liquid transportation fuels, chemicals, materials and biopower. Today, Chromatin’s products are sold in the U.S. and in more than 20 countries, where its sorghum seeds are planted on over 4 million acres. For additional information, please visit www.chromatininc.com.