Viridis Chemical Announces Completion Of Capital Improvement To Produce USP Grade Bio-Based Ethanol (Phase I) And Begins Construction On Upgrade To Produce Bio-Based Ethyl Ace

Completion of Phase I allows Viridis to begin operations at Columbus, Nebraska, plant

Houston, TX (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Viridis Chemical, LLC ("Viridis Chemical"), a manufacturer of renewable chemicals, announces the completion of the Phase I capital improvement to produce USP grade bio-based ethanol and the commencement of the Phase II capital improvement to produce bio-based ethyl acetate at its plant in Columbus, Nebraska.

As previously disclosed, Viridis Chemical partnered with HELM U.S. Corporation ("HELM") in an exclusive Global Marketing Partnership regarding the products produced at the Columbus, Nebraska, plant and Koch Project Solutions, LLC ("KPS") to design and construct its two-phase capital project.

Viridis Chemical began USP grade bio-based ethanol production in early August 2021 at the Columbus, Nebraska, plant. On specification product for USP grade ethanol has been achieved and the first railcars have been sold to Viridis Chemical's marketing partner, HELM. In addition to starting USP production, Viridis Chemical and KPS initiated construction on the Phase II capital improvement to produce bio-based urethane grade ethyl acetate and expects to begin production of that product the first quarter of 2023.

Carl Rush, co-founder and CEO of Viridis Chemical, stated, "This is a huge first step for our company as we bring our USP grade bio-based ethanol product to market. We will now shift our focus to executing on our ethyl acetate expansion project. Upon completion of our ethyl acetate expansion project, we will be the first and only large-scale producer of bio-based ethyl acetate in North America and look forward to providing the domestic as well as global market with sustainable ethyl acetate for a variety of applications, including several consumer-facing products."

"We are extremely pleased that Viridis Chemical has begun USP ethanol production and look forward to being able to provide sustainable volumes of USP ethanol to our broad customer base. This is an exciting milestone for the partnership between Viridis Chemical and HELM and we look forward to the continuation of our relationship when the ethyl acetate unit is online," said Björn Steckel, President Chemicals Americas of HELM.

Paul Switzer, President of Koch Project Solutions, said, "We're pleased to partner with Viridis Chemical to help them achieve their Phase I milestone and are excited to continue working with them as they move onto Phase II. We expect Phase II to be operationally ready by early 2023."

About Viridis Chemical
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Viridis Chemical, LLC is a world-class manufacturer of renewable chemicals. We're committed to the safe, environmentally sound, and economically viable conversion of bio-Ethanol into useful products previously derived from oil or natural gas. We provide value to our customers by offering a green, domestically sourced alternative to their existing supply chain. Viridis Chemical adds purpose to our suppliers and to the economy of Nebraska by further increasing the range of usefulness of local, agriculturally derived feedstock. For more information, please visit www.viridischemical.com.

About HELM
HELM is a Hamburg, Germany, based family-owned company established in 1900 generating global revenues of $5 billion per year. HELM is one of the world's largest chemicals marketing companies. The company secures access to the world's key markets through its specific regional knowledge and subsidiaries, sales offices and participations all around the globe. As a multifunctional marketing organization, HELM is active in the chemicals industry, in the crop protection industry, in pharmaceuticals and in the fertilizer industry. www.helmag.com

About Koch Project Solutions
Koch Project Solutions strives to be the preferred partner for capital project execution. Built on a foundation of safety, Koch Project Solutions partners with project owners to develop customized execution and contracting strategies designed to maximize the return on investment. Koch Project Solutions is a part of Koch Engineered Solutions providing world-class services and technologies broadly across industrial sectors. Superior Outcomes. Consistently Delivered. Learn more at our website: www.kochprojectsolutions.com.

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