World's Largest Soybean Processing Plant Converts to Usage of Verenium's Purifine(R) PLC Enzymatic Degumming Process

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., March 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Verenium Corporation (Nasdaq: VRNM), a pioneer in the development of next-generation cellulosic ethanol and high-performance specialty enzymes, today announced that Molinos Rio de la Plata, Argentina's leading soybean and sunflower seed processor, has successfully begun use of Verenium's Purifine enzymatic degumming process at its San Lorenzo facility in Argentina. Purifine enzymatic degumming is a novel process that significantly increases yields in edible oil production and can have additional benefits in refining the Purifine-degummed oil.

"Molinos' ability to adopt new innovative technologies is what makes them a global leader in the edible oil market," said Janet Roemer, Verenium's Executive Vice President, Specialty Enzymes Business.  "Verenium is pleased to be able to work with Molinos to further enhance their operating efficiency through the use of Purifine PLC, which allows for the simultaneous increasing of oil yields and improving the efficacy of meal production without requiring major changes to the existing plant layout."

"Through Purifine PLC's innovative enzymatic degumming process, we have seen a significant increase in oil yields and processing margins enabling our facility to more fully reach its potential," said Luis Palacios, Molinos' Industrial Manager.  "The ability to squeeze extra yield from the same plant without increased chemical usage is critical to our philosophy of minimizing the overall environmental impact of our processes."

The Molinos San Lorenzo facility has been built to include several state of the art technologies that enable maximum yields of oil and meal from soybeans in a highly efficient and low-cost process. Integration of Verenium's enzyme further improves the plant performance because the oil loss in the enzyme-based process is lower than in non-enzymatic processes.

About Purifine

Verenium's patented and novel Purifine enzyme facilitates improved operating efficiency and reduction in byproducts by allowing a higher percentage of the crude vegetable oil extracted from seeds to be recovered and converted into edible oil or biodiesel. In conventional processing phospholipid impurities are removed as emulsified gums with an associated oil yield loss. Purifine enzyme works by reacting with the phospholipids releasing both the oil entrained in the gum and the oil-component of the phospholipids. Compared to other degumming methods, oil yield losses are reduced by up to 75% using Purifine enzymatic degumming, depending on the phospholipid content of the oil. Purifine PLC can also offer significant benefits to the refining process by improving operating efficiency, and reducing the need for harsh chemicals and other processing aids.

About Verenium

Verenium Corporation is a leader in the development and commercialization of cellulosic ethanol, an environmentally-friendly and renewable transportation fuel, as well as high-performance specialty enzymes for applications within the biofuels, industrial, and animal health markets. The Company possesses integrated, end-to-end capabilities and cutting-edge technology in pre-treatment, novel enzyme development, fermentation and project development for next-generation biofuels. Through Vercipia, a 50-50 joint venture with BP, the Company is moving rapidly to commercialize cellulosic technology for the production of ethanol from a wide array of non-food feedstocks, including dedicated energy crops, agricultural waste, and wood products. In addition to the vast potential for biofuels, a multitude of large-scale industrial opportunities exist for the Company for products derived from the production of low-cost, biomass-derived sugars.

Verenium's Specialty Enzyme business harnesses the power of enzymes to create a broad range of specialty products to meet high-value commercial needs. Verenium's world class R&D organization is renowned for its capabilities in the rapid screening, identification, and expression of enzymes-proteins that act as the catalysts of biochemical reactions. For more information on Verenium, visit http://www.verenium.com.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical are "forward-looking" and involve a high degree of risk and uncertainty.  These include, but are not limited to, statements related to the Company's operations, capabilities, commercialization activities, joint ventures, target markets, cellulosic ethanol facilities, and future financial performance, results and objectives, all of which are prospective.  Such statements are only predictions, and actual events or results may differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements.  Factors that could cause or contribute to the differences include, but are not limited to, risks associated with Verenium's technologies, risks associated with the costs, labor requirements and labor availability associated with Verenium's demonstration plant, risks associated with Verenium's ability to obtain additional capital to support its planned operations and financial obligations, risks associated with Verenium's dependence on patents and proprietary rights, risks associated with Verenium's protection and enforcement of its patents and proprietary rights, technological, regulatory, competitive and other risks related to development, production, and commercialization of cellulosic ethanol and other biofuels and related technologies and the commercial prospects of those industries, Verenium's dependence on existing collaboration, joint venture,  manufacturing, and/or license agreements, and its ability to achieve milestones under existing and future collaboration agreements, the ability of Verenium and its partners to commercialize its technologies and products (including by obtaining any required regulatory approvals) using Verenium's technologies and timing for launching any commercial products and projects, the ability of Verenium and its collaborators to market and sell any products that it or they commercialize, the development or availability of competitive products or technologies, the future ability of Verenium to enter into and/or maintain collaboration and joint venture agreements and licenses, changes in the U.S. or global energy markets and laws and regulations applicable to them, and risks and other uncertainties more fully described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008, the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the three months ended September 30, 2009 and any updates contained in its subsequently filed quarterly or annual reports on Forms 10-Q and 10-K.  These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and the Company expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Verenium Corporation

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