AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has signed an agreement with Avantium to enable the sale and delivery of an Avantium Flowrence(TM) parallel fixed bed reactor system. The Flowrence(TM) will allow PNNL to accelerate its catalyst research for infrastructure compatible biofuels and bioproducts.

PNNL is operated by Battelle for the U.S. Department of Energy. The Laboratory advances science and develops solutions for global challenges at the energy and environment nexus. PNNL scientists have extensive expertise in catalysis and reaction engineering, with particular focus on solutions for efficient use of bioproducts, converting biomass and renewable feedstocks to fuels and chemicals, and reducing environmental emissions.

The Avantium system will be housed in the Bioproducts, Sciences and Engineering Laboratory (BSEL). BSEL is a multipurpose research and development facility that includes operating space for all activities required to advance the science and engineering of processes for bio-based product manufacture. The building is located on the campus of Washington State University Tri-Cities Campus in Richland, Washington, approximately one mile south of the main campus of PNNL.

Tom van Aken, Chief Executive Officer of Avantium: The sale of Flowrence(TM) platforms to a world leading research center such as PNNL is a recognition of the value of Avantium's proprietary high-throughput RD technology. We are proud to provide our unique Flowrence technology to PNNL to help increase PNNL's RD productivity significantly with our methodology.

Avantium's proprietary parallel fixed bed rector technology has been successfully applied for over 9 years in collaboration programs for gas, liquid and trickle flow applications (e.g. hydrotreating, VGO hydrocracking, selective oxidation and selective hydrogenation). The Flowrence(TM) is Avantium's proprietary commercially available parallel fixed bed reactor system. The system consists of 16 reactors (4 blocks of 4 reactors each) tailored to the clients applications enabling them to enhance their catalysis research and process optimization efforts. Flowrence(TM) enables users to test catalytic materials for a range of chemistries under industrial processing conditions, including high-temperature (up to 850 0C) and high-pressure reactions (up to 180 Bar).

Profile Avantium

Avantium is a leading technology company specialized in the area of advanced high-throughput RD. The company develops and commercializes Furanics, a next generation biofuels and bioplastics, and develops improved forms of existing drugs. Avantium has demonstrated the value and commercial potential of its unique technology and knowledge by collaborating with leading companies in the energy, chemical and pharmaceutical industry. Avantium's customer base for its RD services and systems offering consists of more than 70 companies worldwide, including market leaders such as BP, Shell, Sasol, Pfizer and GSK. Avantium has around 140 employees; its offices and headquarters are based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Flowrence(TM)

For more information about Flowrence(TM), including downloads and pictures, please visit http://www.avantium.com/flowrence. Flowrence(TM) is a trademark of Avantium.

http://www.avantium.com

Please contact Anniek Gielkens at +31-6-14496444