Anellotech and Suntory Honored as Recipients of “Top 10 Innovations” Award by Innovation for Cool Earth Forum

February 5, 2018

PEARL RIVER, N.Y.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Anellotech,
a sustainable technology company pioneering the production of
cost-competitive renewable chemicals and fuels from non-food biomass,
today announced that its alliance with Japan-based Suntory, one of the
world’s leading consumer beverage companies, was honored as a recipient
of the “Top
10 Innovations” award at the 2017 Innovation for Cool Earth Forum
(ICEF) in Japan.

The alliance with Suntory, one of Anellotech’s principal strategic
investment partners, began in 2012 with the goal of developing new
technology leading to the commercialization of cost-competitive 100
percent bio-based plastics for use in beverage bottles. Suntory
currently uses 30 percent plant-derived materials for its Mineral Water
Suntory Tennensui brands and is pursuing the development of a 100
percent bio-based PET bottle through this alliance, as part of its
commitment to sustainable business practices. Suntory has invested more
than $25 million in Anellotech’s Bio-TCat™ technology to date.

“We are honored to be selected for this prestigious award and for its
recognition of the importance of our achievements in this field,” said
Dave Sudolsky, President and CEO of Anellotech.

ICEF, which is hosted annually by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and
Industry; New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization,
and co-hosted by Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and Ministry of the
Environment, is aimed at addressing climate change through innovation.
ICEF brings together global leaders and experts from business, academia
and the public sector to promote discussion and cooperation on
innovation in energy and environmental technology.

“Top 10 Innovations” is an event to elect the most notable among recent
innovative developments in energy and climate change mitigation that had
been presented within the past two years. Selection criteria include GHG
emissions reduction potential, innovativeness, and overall feasibility.
“Top 10 Innovations” were determined through votes cast by ICEF’s global
participants to elect “the latest technological and business model
innovations and polices with the potential to transform society in the
fields of energy and environment.”

In preparing for the event, the ICEF secretariat collected approximately
400 cases from international journals, databases and other sources, and
selected 100 cases as a longlist by interviews with professionals on
respective areas. Subsequently, The Top 10 Working Group, comprising
four members of the ICEF Steering Committee selected 25 cases out of the
100 to be shortlisted for the final voting. Finally, “Top 10
Innovations” were determined through votes cast by ICEF participants.

The Top 10 Working Group provided the following comments in summarizing
its vote for the Anellotech and Suntory Alliance: “Highly recommended,
since decarbonization of raw materials used in plastics is a
particularly great challenge and all advances in this field should be
encouraged.”

For additional information about ICEF and “Top 10 Innovations” please
visit: http://www.icef-forum.org/top10/top10-icef2017.html

About Anellotech

Anellotech is developing the Bio-TCat™ process to produce
cost-competitive renewable aromatic chemicals (benzene, toluene and
xylenes, “BTX”) from non-food biomass for use in making plastics such as
polyester, nylon, polycarbonate, polystyrene, or for renewable
transportation fuels. Bio-TCat’s cost-competitive advantage results from
the use of non-food biomass such as wood or agricultural residues, and
an efficient and economical catalyst as the only significant inputs.
Anellotech’s R&D program includes process studies to confirm Bio-TCat’s
viable process economics, long-term operability, and carbon footprint
reduction in comparison to petroleum-derived BTX. Anellotech is
currently evaluating loblolly pine and eventually other sustainable
bio-feedstocks at its seven-story tall TCat-8® pilot plant operated
within the South Hampton Resources chemical plant in Silsbee, Texas. The
R&D program will generate bio-based BTX samples for use in making
prototype samples of PET polymer for bio-based bottles and
bio-benzene-based polymers such as ABS, polycarbonate and polyurethane
for strategic investors.

By using renewable and readily available non-food feedstock materials
the Bio-TCat process is less expensive compared to bio-based processes
relying on sugar as a feedstock, and avoids competition with the food
chain. These renewable products are expected to be produced and sold
profitably either against identical, petroleum-derived BTX counterparts,
or as renewable fuel blend stocks. Anellotech complements its
world-class R&D team with in-depth, highly-interactive, and long-term
alliances with leaders in process development, catalysis, engineering
design, and licensing to accelerate development and drive
cost-competitiveness. IFPEN is our process development and scale-up
partner, Johnson Matthey is our catalyst development partner, and Axens
is our partner for industrialization, commercialization, global
licensing and technical support. Industry-leading strategic partners in
the BTX supply chain, including Suntory and Toyota Tsusho, as well as
other confidential strategic investors, also have provided funding to
Anellotech. To learn more, please visit: www.anellotech.com