DGAP-News: BDI - BioDiesel International AG: Official opening of BioDiesel plant in Latvia

26.01.2009

Release of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG. The issuer / publisher is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

(Graz, 26, January of 2009). The first industrial BioDiesel production plant in Latvia was inaugurated in Ventspils on January 22, 2009.

The plant constructed by BDI - BioDiesel International is located in the port area of Ventspils and disposes of an annual production capacity of 100,000 tons / 113 mio. liter of conforming to European standards BioDiesel.

As by-products of the manufacturing process pharmaglycerin, feeding stuff and fertilizers are extracted. In addition to predominantly vegetable raw materials coming from the Baltic states, the Ukraine, Belorussia and Kazakhstan, the BDI plant is able to process Used Cooking Oils and free fatty acids (FFAs) on a pro-rata basis (FFAs).

Around the production plant, customer Bioventa has established crop storages, an oil mill for processing raw materials, a fueling station for trucks as well as a ship loading station with a total investment volume of approx. EUR 85 millions. Thanks to these investments, the supply with raw materials and the collection of the final products is environmentally friendly and economic.

The manufactured BioDiesel is at the moment mainly destined for export, inter alia for the Norwegian Statoil - Mineral Oil Corporation and represents 1.5% of the export ratio of Latvia.

Minister for the Environment Raimonds Vējonis present at the inauguration underlined that not only the use of modern, economical cars, but also the production of energy from renewables plays a key role for environmental protection. Latvia aims to increase the blending ratio of biofuels with a corresponding regulation. At this time, the blending ratio only amounts to 0.3%. In this regard, Austria with its former Minister for the Environment Josef Pröll, an expert and promoter of biofuels with whom an intensive information exchange took place, is an ideal model for Latvia.

For Wilhelm Hammer, CEO at BDI, the new plant is a vital milestone to achieve certain climate protection targets: 'There is enough potential for sustainable raw materials coming from agricultural countries as e.g. the Ukraine, which have to be taken advantage of to reach a CO2-reduction in the transport sector. By exporting their agricultural products, these countries can in turn finance desperately needed industrial goods. For the targets set by the EU, BioDiesel is a key factor as the biofuel can already be used today. The plant manages to achieve a yield of 100% which not only represents the optimum economic efficiency for our customer, but also fully utilizes the raw material.'

Besides in Latvia, BDI managed to build an almost similar plant in the port of Klaipeda, Lithuania.

More information: www.bdi-biodiesel.com www.bioventa.lv

About BDI - BioDiesel International AG

BDI - BioDiesel International AG is one of the world's leading suppliers of complete BioDiesel production plants. The services the company provides include plant planning, construction and start-up and subsequent after-sales service. BDI - BioDiesel International AG has had in-depth experience with the production of BioDiesel and owns an extensive patent portfolio that has resulted from its in-house research and development activities. The company considers itself to be among the leading international technology suppliers on the market for the production of Multi-Feedstock plants that can manufacture BioDiesel on the basis of different raw materials, such as vegetable oils, waste edible oils and animal fats. BDI - BioDiesel International AG currently has more than 120 employees. The BDI - BioDiesel International AG shares (ISIN AT0000A02177) are listed in the Prime Standard/Regulated Market at Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

Heinrich Sigmund Corporate Communications BDI - BioDiesel International AG Parkring 18 A-8074 Grambach / Graz, Austria Tel: +43 / 316 / 4009-1528 Fax: +43 / 316 / 4009-110 www.bdi-biodiesel.com heinrich.sigmund@bdi-biodiesel.com

26.01.2009 Financial News transmitted by DGAP

Language: English
Issuer: BDI - BioDiesel International AG
Parkring 18
A-8074 Grambach/Graz
Österreich
Phone: +43 - 316 - 4009-100
Fax: +43 - 316 - 4009-110
E-mail: bdi@bdi-biodiesel.com
Internet: www.bdi-biodiesel.com
ISIN: AT0000A02177
WKN: A0LAXT
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr
in Berlin, Düsseldorf, München, Stuttgart

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