Global Chemical Giant Picks Illinois-Based Startup with Indian Technology

    NEW DELHI, India and MT. PROSPECT, Ill., Jan. 8 /PRNewswire/ --
Benefuel, Inc., a new-generation biodiesel refining and distribution
company, announced today an exclusive, world-wide manufacturing agreement
with New Delhi-based Sud-Chemie India Pvt. Ltd. (SCIL), a joint venture of
Munich, Germany-based Sud-Chemie AG, one of the world's largest catalyst
companies. Under the terms of the manufacturing and supply agreement, SCIL
will manufacture the proprietary catalysts for Benefuel's biodiesel
production facilities around the world.

    "This partnership with SCIL validates the unique attributes of our
catalyst technology and the ability of our business model to serve
international markets," said Rob Tripp, CEO of Benefuel. "SCIL has decades
of experience with catalyst manufacturing, including extensive experience
in the chemicals market. We're proud that SCIL picked Benefuel for its
first foray into the biodiesel industry."

    Benefuel's solid catalyst technology, developed by leading chemists and
chemical engineers at India's prestigious National Chemical Laboratory
(NCL), based in Pune, can turn most vegetable oils, animal fats or waste
cooking oils directly into fatty acid methyl esters, without the need for
costly pre-processing or post-process water washing. Benefuel's ENSEL (TM)
process, which employs these catalysts, also produces a highly pure
glycerin co-product. The purity of this glycerin permits its direct
conversion into other commercially attractive chemicals or to
pharmaceutical grade glycerin, providing an additional revenue stream for
biodiesel manufacturers. The catalysts can also be used with long-chain
alcohols to produce premium biolubricant base oils.

    "Sud-Chemie has long been active in the research, development and
production of heterogeneous catalysts," said Arshia Lalljee, Managing
Director of Sud-Chemie India, "and Benefuel's exclusive license to
commercialize technology from NCL created an opportunity for SCIL to expand
into new catalyst applications and to apply some of its own proprietary
technologies to the biodiesel market. We are pleased to partner with NCL
and Benefuel in commercializing the solid catalyst technology."

    In October, Benefuel announced plans to construct the world's first
industrial-scale biodiesel refinery to use its novel, solid catalyst.
Construction of the plant, to be located in Seymour, Ind., U.S., will begin
in early 2008.

    About Benefuel, Inc.

    Benefuel, Inc. is a new-generation biodiesel refining and distribution
company with a streamlined production process that allows for distributed
and scalable biodiesel plants that leverage local resources, enable cost
advantages for producers and distributors, and facilitate expansion of the
biofuels market. Benefuel's proprietary catalytic technology-developed by a
world-leading chemical engineering laboratory-eliminates the need for
washing biodiesel in the refining process and expands the range of viable
feedstock options to include high FFA animal fats, crude vegetable oils and
waste oils, thus reducing the environmental footprint of biodiesel
production and ensuring consistent access to feedstocks across developing
markets. Benefuel's refining process yields a market-ready, 98% or higher,
pure glycerin, eliminating the crude glycerin waste stream typically found
in biodiesel production today and generating significant additional
revenue.

    Media Contact:

    Lonnie Shekhtman, Antenna Group (for Benefuel)

    415-977-1917, lonnie@antennagroup.com

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