Rentech’s Synthetic Jet Fuel Powers First U.S. Commercial Flight on Certified Alternative Fuels

LOS ANGELES--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Rentech, Inc. (NYSE AMEX: RTK) announced that a successful engineering validation flight was conducted today by United Airlines using Rentech’s certified synthetic jet fuel (RenJet^®). The flight marks the first time a U.S. commercial airline has used synthetic jet fuel in flight and underscores Rentech’s leadership role in a lower carbon future with the use of domestic technology and resources to fuel the nation's transportation needs.

In December 2009, United, along with twelve other domestic and international passenger and cargo carriers, signed a Memorandum of Understanding that is intended to serve as a framework for a future definitive supply agreement for approximately 250 million gallons per year of certified synthetic jet fuel from Rentech's proposed synthetic fuels and power facility in Adams County, Mississippi (Natchez Project).

The synthetic jet fuel used in today’s engineering validation flight was produced at Rentech’s Product Demonstration Unit, which is believed to be the only operating integrated synthetic transportation fuels facility in the U.S. RenJet^®, produced from renewable or fossil feedstocks, is the first and only alternative fuel type certified for use by commercial aviation. Rentech’s synthetic jet fuel can be distributed and used in existing infrastructure including pipelines and engines and are cleaner burning than traditional petroleum-derived jet fuel.

D. Hunt Ramsbottom, President and CEO, of Rentech commented, “Today’s successful engineering validation flight is a significant step forward for Rentech and the commercial aviation industry. Rentech is proud to partner with United Airlines to demonstrate the viability of certified synthetic jet fuel as an environmentally superior and economically competitive alternative fuel source that can be produced domestically with U.S. jobs.” Mr. Ramsbottom continued, “This flight, along with the customer agreements we are pursuing with the airlines, validates the considerable market demand for synthetic fuels produced by the Rentech Process. The value of Rentech’s technology lies in its flexibility to use renewable and fossil feedstocks to produce drop-in, certified fuels that are clean-burning and ready for commercial-scale production today.”

“This flight confirms our assumptions about how this fuel performs on a commercial aircraft in a variety of situations and represents the next step in our effort to stimulate competition in the aviation fuel supply chain, promote energy security through economically viable alternatives that also demonstrate environmental benefits and contribute to the creation of green jobs," said Joseph Kolshak, United Airlines senior vice president of operations.

The validation flight was conducted using a 40/60 mix of Rentech’s synthetic jet fuel with conventional Jet A fuel in one of two engines on an Airbus 319 aircraft. The aircraft departed Denver International Airport and climbed to an altitude of 39,000 feet where the onboard team collected data on the performance of the fuel during several maneuvers, including taxi, takeoff, climb, cruise, auxiliary power unit start, descent and approach. The synthetic jet fuel, derived from natural gas and converted to liquid fuel through the Rentech Fischer Tropsch process, is approved by the ASTM International and is safe for use on passenger flights.

Captain Joseph Burns, United Airlines managing director, technology and flight test, led a team of 19 engineers and observers on board the flight. Definitive results and analysis of the performance of the synthetic jet fuel and the aircraft are expected within the next 10 days.

In August 2009, United was among eight airlines who signed an unprecedented multi-year agreement with Rentech for up to 1.5 million gallons per year of renewable synthetic diesel (RenDiesel^®) for ground service equipment operations at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) beginning in late 2012, when Rentech’s Rialto Renewable Energy Center is scheduled to go into service.

Earlier this year, Rentech and ClearFuels Technology jointly received a $22.6 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to construct a biomass gasifier at Rentech’s Energy Technology Center in Denver. The gasifier will be integrated with Rentech’s Product Demonstration Unit for the production of renewable synthetic fuels from biomass in late 2011.

About Rentech, Inc.

Rentech, Inc. (www.rentechinc.com), incorporated in 1981, provides clean energy solutions. The Company’s Rentech-SilvaGas biomass gasification process can convert multiple biomass feedstocks into synthesis gas (syngas) for production of renewable fuels and power. Combining the gasification process with Rentech’s unique application of proven syngas conditioning and clean-up technology and the patented Rentech Process based on Fischer-Tropsch chemistry, Rentech offers an integrated solution for production of synthetic fuels from biomass. The Rentech Process can also convert syngas from fossil resources into ultra-clean synthetic jet and diesel fuels, specialty waxes and chemicals. Final product upgrading is provided under an alliance with UOP, a Honeywell company. Rentech develops projects and licenses these technologies for application in synthetic fuels and power facilities worldwide. Rentech Energy Midwest Corporation, the Company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, manufactures and sells nitrogen fertilizer products including ammonia, urea ammonia nitrate, urea granule, and urea solution in the corn-belt region of the central United States. Rentech has been recognized by Biofuels Digest as one of the 50 Hottest Companies in Bio-energy and has been named as one of the Biofuels Digest Companies of the Year for its recent innovations and achievements, particularly in aviation biofuels.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 about matters such the development of proposed synthetic fuels facilities in Rialto, California and Adam County, Mississippi, the construction of a biomass gasifier at the Rentech Energy Technology Center, the emissions profile and characteristics of Rentech’s synthetic fuels, the expected timeline for the Company’s facilities and the sale of fuel from the facilities. There can be no assurances that the non-binding Memorandum of Understanding referred to in this release will lead to a definitive fuel purchase agreement or that the projects will be built. These statements are based on management's current expectations and actual results may differ materially as a result of various risks and uncertainties. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements include the financial means of Rentech to build proposed projects, fluctuations in commodities prices including the price of oil and the materials necessary to construct projects, the impact of changing government regulations on the project permitting process and the qualification of renewable power and fuels and factors set forth in the Company's press releases and periodic public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, which are available via Rentech's web site at www.rentechinc.com. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release, and Rentech does not undertake to revise or update these forward-looking statements, except to the extent that it is required to do so under applicable law.