Avantium Builds YXY Pilot Plant for Green Materials and Fuels

AMSTERDAM, October 14, 2010 - Avantium announced today that it has started with the construction of a
pilot plant at the Chemelot site (Geleen, the Netherlands). The pilot plant
will produce YXY building blocks for making green materials and fuels.
Avantium has developed a novel and proprietary catalytic process to convert
carbohydrates into furanic building blocks under the brand name YXY. The
pilot plant is expected to become operational in the first quarter of 2011.
The pilot plant marks a major milestone in the commercialization of a new
generation of renewable materials and fuels.

The pilot plant will demonstrate the breakthrough process
developed in Avantium's labs at larger scale. Furthermore, it will produce
several tons of YXY building blocks per year to support product development.
Avantium is collaborating with industrial partners such as NatureWorks (a
subsidiary of Cargill) and Teijin Aramid to develop novel materials on basis
of its YXY building blocks. Avantium collaborates with DAF Trucks (a Paccar
company) on the development of YXY fuels. The company expects to use YXY
building blocks for the production of green and recyclable materials such as
water and soft drink bottles, carpets, textiles, high-performance fibers,
coatings and plasticizers.

Tom van Aken, CEO Avantium, commented: "We are excited to take
this major step in commercializing our YXY technology. Over the past years we
have made tremendous progress to develop a low-cost production process to
convert biomass into YXY building blocks. We believe that we have brought the
technology to a point where we can be price competitive with existing
plastics and fuels that are made out of oil. In parallel we have proven that
you can make materials on basis of YXY that have excellent performance
characteristics. With the strong market pull from corporations and consumers
for green materials, the time is right for the scale-up of our technology. We
look for industrial partners in the polymer, chemicals, materials and fuels
sectors to support our development of YXY based materials and fuels, and help
us create a truly green economy".

The pilot plant is partly funded by a EUR 1 million grant from
the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture. The Ministry had a total budget of EUR 10
million for projects to realize pilot plants for the production of
sustainable bio-based products and energy for the European market. To run the
pilot plant and to further accelerate the commercialization of YXY, Avantium
is raising additional private funding. The company expects to close a EUR 15
million round by the end of 2010.

Mr. H. van Wechem, Chairman Advisory Board Tender Bio-refinery, Retired
Global Manager Innovation & Research of Shell Global Solutions, commented:
"Avantium scored very high on all criteria defined by the Ministry. In
addition to an impressive patent portfolio, they have developed a technology
for a broad range of biomass feedstock. The YXY products can also be used in
a wide range of applications. What I personally like about Avantium is the
fact that they use a catalytic process, similar to a classical oil process,
for a complete new raw-material (biomass). Avantium is a great example how a
small and young company can build a unique position in an upcoming global
market by using its extensive knowledge."

Avantium's pilot plant is being constructed at the Chemelot
site in Geleen, the Netherlands. The site offers services and a specialized
chemical infrastructure to the industrial producers, among others DSM and
Sabic, on the site.

About YXY

Avantium has developed YXY - a family of green building blocks for making
materials and fuels that can compete on price and performance. YXY
(pronounced ~ixy) is a patented technology that converts biomass into
Furanics. It is the perfect solution for today's challenges as it uses
carbohydrates as feedstock, enabling the manufacture of green and sustainable
products. This fast and cost-effective production process is based on
Avantium's catalytic technology. YXY can be implemented in existing chemical
production methods. See www.yxy.com for more information.

About Avantium

Avantium is a leading technology company specialized in the area of
advanced high-throughput R&D. The company develops and commercializes YXY -
its new brand name for chemical building blocks for making green materials
and fuels that can compete on price and performance. Avantium has
demonstrated the value and commercial potential of its unique technology and
knowledge by collaborating with leading companies in the energy and chemical
industries. Avantium has a global customer base for its profitable R&D
services and systems offering, including market leaders such as BP, Shell and
Sasol. Avantium offices and headquarters are based in Amsterdam, the
Netherlands.

Visit the corporate Avantium website: www.avantium.com or the
product website www.yxy.com.

For more information about Avantium, please contact Mariette Hoogendoorn at +31-20 586-8010