SunOpta Announces System Sale to Celunol.TORONTO -- SunOpta Inc. (SunOpta or the Company) (Nasdaq:STKL) (TSX TSX Toronto Stock Exchange (TSE before April, 2002) TSX Transfer from Stack Pointer to Index TSX True Space Extension :SOY) today announced that the company has sold a continuous process system, including SunOpta's patented and proprietary biomass conversion technology, to Celunol (formerly BC International) for Celunol's cellulosic ethanol Cellulosic ethanol is a type of biofuel produced from lignocellulose, a structural material that comprises much of the mass of plants. It is composed mainly of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. commercial demonstration facility in Jennings, Louisiana Jennings is a small city located in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana near Lake Charles. [1] [2] As of the 2000 census, Jennings had a total population of 10,986. . Terms of the sale were not disclosed. The SunOpta Bioprocess bi·o·proc·ess n. 1. A technique that produces a biological material, such as a genetically engineered microbial strain, for commercial use. 2. Group has been designing, building, and optimizing biomass conversion plants for over thirty years. End products include cellulosic ethanol, cellulosic butanol bu·ta·nol n. Either of two butyl alcohols derived from butane and used as solvents and in organic synthesis. [butan(e) + -ol1. , xylitol xylitol /xy·li·tol/ (zi´li-tol) a five-carbon sugar alcohol derived from xylose and as sweet as sucrose; used as a noncariogenic sweetener and also as a sugar substitute in diabetic diets. , and dietary fibre dietary fibre Noun the roughage in fruits and vegetables that aid digestion for human consumption. Raw materials include wheat straw, corn stover Corn stover consists of the leaves and stalks of maize (Zea mays ssp. mays L.) plants left in a field after harvest. It makes up about half of the yield of a crop and is similar to straw, the residue left in field after harvest of any cereal grain. , grasses, oat oat member of the plant genus Avena in the family Poaceae. oats see avenasativa. oat grain seed of Avena sativa, and as 'oats' the favored grain for the feeding of horses. hulls, wood chips, and sugarcane bagasse bagasse Fibre remaining after the extraction of the sugar-bearing juice from sugarcane. The term was once applied more generally to various waste residues from processing plant materials. . Celunol Corp. (www.celunol.com) is a privately held company privately held company A firm whose shares are held within a relatively small circle of owners and are not traded publicly. headquartered in Dedham, Massachusetts moving rapidly to commercialize its proprietary technology for producing ethanol from a wide array of cellulosic biomass feedstocks--including bagasse, agricultural waste, wood products and dedicated energy crops. The company is currently completing an expansion of its existing pilot facility and is moving forward to construct a demonstration plant based on its technology later this year. Celunol aspires to develop and build a portfolio of ethanol facilities in the U.S. and abroad. Shareholders in the company include Braemar Energy Ventures, Charles River Ventures, Khosla Ventures, and Rho Capital Partners. Murray Burke, Vice President and General Manager of SunOpta's BioProcess Group, commented, "The combination of SunOpta and Celunol process technologies will lead to a very competitive solution for producing cellulosic ethanol from various biomass substrates. We are excited to be working with Celunol on the first commercial cellulosic ethanol plant in the United States and look forward to the massive grow out in this market." Carlos Riva, President and Chief Executive Officer of Celunol, noted the advantages of acquiring the SunOpta technology, "Incorporating SunOpta's biomass pretreatment pretreatment, n the protocols required before beginning therapy, usually of a diagnostic nature; before treatment. pretreatment estimate, n See predetermination. system into our proprietary process will further enhance the operating efficiencies of our Jennings facility, and will advance the rapid commercialization of Celunol's cellulosic ethanol technology." About SunOpta Inc. SunOpta Inc. is an operator of high-growth ethical businesses, focusing on integrated business models in the natural and organic food 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 Group, a producer, distributor, and recycler of environmentally friendly industrial materials; and the SunOpta BioProcess Group 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 The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA) implemented several significant substantive changes affecting certain cases brought under the federal securities laws, including changes related to pleading, discovery, liability, class representation and awards fees and 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: Jeremy N. Kendall, Chairman & CEO Lytham Partners, LLC Steve Bromley, President & COO Joe Diaz John Dietrich, Vice President & CFO Robert Blum Susan Wiekenkamp, Information Officer Joe Dorame Tel: 905-455-2528, ext 103 Tel: 602-889-9700 susan.wiekenkamp@sunopta.com diaz@lythampartners.com Website: www.sunopta.com |
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