FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
SUNOPTA
BIOPROCESS INC. ANNOUNCES PLANS TO DEVELOP A 10 MILLION GALLON PER YEAR
COMMERCIAL CELLULOSIC ETHANOL FACILITY
Toronto, Ontario, November 19,
2007 - SunOpta Inc. (SunOpta or the Company) (Nasdaq:
Leveraging SBI’s extensive intellectual property
portfolio, including existing and recently filed patent applications and 30
years of experience in biomass processing, this plant is expected to be one of the
first commercially viable cellulosic ethanol plants in the world. The plant
will utilize SBI proprietary and patented technology together with CMEC’s
existing infrastructure, raw material supply sources and operational expertise.
The critical “pretreatment” process step will utilize SBI’s proprietary auto hydrolysis
process, which uses only heat and steam to pre-treat and partially hydrolyze
lignocellulosic materials. In this process, no external chemical catalyst is
required and water contained in the raw material feedstock is efficiently utilized,
eliminating the need for large external water sources.
SBI’s proprietary and patented pretreatment
technology, widely known as “steam explosion”, has been industrially proven in
continuous operation in a variety of commercial-scale applications, and is
currently being utilized in a number of commercial demonstration cellulosic
ethanol facilities around the world.
The proposed plant will be initially designed to
produce 10 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year, with anticipated
modular scale-up plans to expand the plant to over 50 million gallons per year.
The plant will be environmentally friendly and use locally contracted woodchips
as the cellulose source, with residual lignin serving as fuel stock for an
energy efficient gasification and co-generation system that will provide the required
power for both the corn starch and cellulosic ethanol operations.
Steve Anderson, President CMEC Board of Directors says "We
look forward to this exciting opportunity with SunOpta as we go forward to the
development of this project. There has been a tremendous amount of research in
the development of cellulosic ethanol and now is the time to implement the
research. We feel SunOpta is the company to partner with to make cellulosic
ethanol a reality. We also feel this
will provide another market for the timber industry in the northern part of the
state".
About SunOpta BioProcess
Inc.
SunOpta BioProcess Inc.
(SBI) is a leader in the design, construction and optimization of biomass
conversion process technologies, equipment and facilities. With over 30 years
experience in delivering biomass solutions worldwide, SBI combines its
application expertise with innovative and patented and proprietary technologies
to produce cellulosic ethanol, cellulosic butanol, xylitol, and dietary fiber
for human consumption; and is currently supplying equipment and process technology
to commercial demonstration cellulosic ethanol projects in the U.S., Spain, and
China. SunOpta BioProcess Inc. intends to build and own or co-own commercial
scale cellulosic ethanol production facilities worldwide through relationships with
a number of venture partners.
About
Central MN Ethanol Co-op (CMEC) is a majority
farmer-owned
About
SunOpta Inc.
SunOpta Inc. is an
operator of high-growth ethical businesses, focusing on integrated business
models in the natural and organic food, supplements and health and beauty
markets. The Company has three business units: the SunOpta Food Group, which
specializes in sourcing, processing and distribution of natural and organic
food products integrated from seed through packaged products; the Opta Minerals
Inc. (TSX:OPM) (66.6% owned by SunOpta), a producer, distributor, and recycler
of environmentally friendly industrial materials; and the SunOpta BioProcess
Inc. which engineers and markets proprietary steam explosion technology systems
for the pulp, bio-fuel and food processing industries. Each of these business
units has proprietary products and services that give it a solid competitive
advantage in its sector.
Forward-Looking
Statements
Certain statements
included in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements”
within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform
Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to
references to business strategies, competitive strengths, goals, capital
expenditure plans, business and operational growth plans and references to the
future growth of the business. These forward looking statements are based on
certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of its experience
and its interpretation of current conditions, historical trends and expected
future developments as well as other factors that the Company believes are
appropriate in the circumstance. However, whether actual results and
developments will agree with expectations and predications of the Company is
subject to many risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to; general
economic, business or market risk conditions; competitive actions by other
companies; changes in laws or regulations or policies of local governments,
provinces and states as well as the governments of United States and Canada,
many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Consequently all
forward-looking statements made herein are qualified by these cautionary
statements and there can be no assurance that the actual results or
developments anticipated by the Company will be realized.
For further information, please contact:
|
SunOpta
Inc. |
Investment
Community Inquiries: |
|
|
Lytham Partners, LLC |
|
Joseph Riz, Executive
Vice President |
Joe Diaz Robert Blum Joe Dorame |
|
Tel: |
Tel: |
|
Website: www.sunopta.com |
|