Milestone Project to Demonstrate Aduro's Modular, Scalable Solution for Converting Waste Plastics into Valuable Chemicals, Strengthening Path to Full Commercialization

LONDON, Ontario, Nov. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aduro Clean Technologies Inc. ("Aduro" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: ADUR) (CSE: ACT) (FSE: 9D5), a clean technology company using the power of chemistry to transform lower value feedstocks, like waste plastics, heavy bitumen, and renewable oils, into resources for the 21st century, is pleased to announce its engagement of Zeton Inc. ("Zeton")

Zeton is a globally recognized leader in the design and fabrication of pilot plants, demonstration plants, and small-scale commercial units. With over 800 projects delivered across 45+ countries, the company brings unmatched expertise and scale to the industry. Leveraging over three decades of experience, Zeton specializes in bridging the gap between laboratory innovation and commercial production. Its proven track record, global reach, and precision engineering capabilities position it as a trusted partner for Aduro.

Together, Zeton and Aduro will design, build, and commission a pilot plant for Aduro's proprietary Hydrochemolytic Technology ("HCT Pilot Plant"), marking a key milestone in Aduro's commercialization pathway for transforming waste plastics into valuable chemicals. Previously referred to as the "Next Generation Process (NGP)," this 10 kg/hour HCT Pilot Plant represents Aduro's evolved focus on right-sized, modular, and scalable solutions. A key objective for 2024 has been the completion of the pilot plant design, which remains on schedule. Fabrication, delivery, installation, and commissioning are targeted for Q3 2025. Concurrently, site preparation, staff training, and materials sourcing are progressing to ensure alignment with the project timeline.

Aduro's HCT Pilot Plant, to be located at the Company's facility in London, Ontario, marks the next phase in Aduro's strategic plan to scale its Hydrochemolytic Technology (HCT) toward full commercialization. This pilot plant will build upon the Company's years of extensive research aimed at optimizing the requirements for HCT at a commercial scale. Designed with modularity and scalability at its core, the HCT Pilot Plant will enable Aduro to define optimal configurations of its unique reactor system to process each of the many local variations in the wide range of feedstocks that are suitable for the Hydrochemolytic Technology process, making it highly suited to project-specific needs across diverse customer applications. This flexibility is especially valuable to Aduro's current and prospective collaborators, who are exploring the use of advanced chemical recycling across a wide range of plastic waste feedstocks, each with unique characteristics and requirements.

"Our engagement with Zeton adds significant engineering capabilities. We are excited and feel that we are in a strong position to accomplish our goals working with such an experienced global leader," said Ofer Vicus, CEO of Aduro. "Our HCT Pilot Plant will serve as a key platform for validating HCT's performance in real-world conditions, bringing us closer to the design and construction of a commercial demonstration plant," continued Vicus. "As this pilot project advances, we look forward to deeper collaboration with our potential strategic partners and leaders in the plastics industry, positioning Aduro for long-term value creation."

"Our engagement with Aduro represents a real opportunity to demonstrate the scalability and viability of Hydrochemolytic Technology, which is part of the increasing demand for advanced recycling solutions and the global shift towards sustainable plastics recycling methods," added Dr. Leisl Dukhedin-Lalla, President, and CEO of Zeton. "Our role in bringing this innovative solution closer to commercialization aligns with our shared vision of providing sustainable, impactful technologies that address global environmental challenges."

About Zeton Inc.

Zeton is a recognized world leader in the design and fabrication of lab scale systems, pilot plants, demonstration plants and small modular commercial plants using modular fabrication. The company serves a wide range of industries and applications including oil & gas, polymers, chemicals, synfuels and alternative energy, bioenergy and biofuels, pharma and biotech, mining and hydromet, fine chemicals, environmental and sustainable chemistry. Process modules are engineered and fabricated at ZETON's two state-of-the-art, integrated design-build facilities in Oakville, Ontario, Canada and Enschede, The Netherlands. They can be shipped virtually anywhere in the world for field installation. Learn more at .

About Aduro Clean Technologies

Aduro Clean Technologies is a developer of patented water-based technologies to chemically recycle waste plastics; convert heavy crude and bitumen into lighter, more valuable oil; and transform renewable oils into higher-value fuels or renewable chemicals. The Company's Hydrochemolytic technology relies on water as a critical agent in a chemistry platform that operates at relatively low temperatures and cost, a game-changing approach that converts low-value feedstocks into resources for the 21st century. Learn more at .

For further information, please contact:

Abe Dyck, Investor Relations
ir@adurocleantech.com
+1 226 784 8889

KCSA Strategic Communications
Jack Perkins, Vice President
aduro@kcsa.com

Zeton Inc.
David Edwards, Vice President Sales & Marketing
dedwards@zeton.com
+1 905 632 3123

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact that address activities, events, or developments that the Company believes, expects, or anticipates will or may occur in the future, are forward-looking statements. In this news release, the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the anticipated design and fabrication of the HCT Pilot Plan through the engagement of Zeton; the expectation that the design and development of the HCT Pilot Plant will demonstrate Aduro's modular, scalable solutions for converting waste plastics into valuable chemicals; that the design and development of the HCT Pilot Plant will strengthen Aduro's pathway to full commercialization; that the design for the HCT Pilot Plant will be completed prior to the end of 2024; that the commissioning for the construction of the HCT Pilot Plant will occur in Q3 of 2025; that site preparation, training, materials handling and related activities for development of the HCT Pilot Plant will occur on the same timeline; that the development of the HCT Pilot Plant will allow scaling of the Company's technology towards full commercialization; that the design and development of the plant will build upon the Company's years of intensive research aimed to optimize the requirements of the technology at a commercial scale; that the plant will be designed with modularity and scalability, enabling demonstration of adaptable processing approaches for a wide range of feedstock types, making it suitable to project specific needs across diverse customer applications; that the plant's flexibility will be valuable for Aduro's existing and prospective collaborators who are exploring advanced recycling and feedstock processing solutions; that the engagement of Zeton will add significant engineering capabilities and allow the Company to accomplish its goals; that the HCT Pilot Plant will serve as a key platform for validating the technology in real-world conditions; that the plant will advance the Company closer to the design and construction of a commercial scale plant; that the project will lead to deeper collaboration with potential strategic partners and leaders in the plastics industry and position the Company for long term value creation; that Zeton's engagement will advance the Company's technology closer to commercialization and align with its vision to provide sustainable and impactful technology that addresses global environmental challenges. The forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and, accordingly, undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to their inherent uncertainty. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include, but are not limited to, that there may be unanticipated challenges in the design and fabrication of the HCT Pilot Plan; that Zeton may be unable to complete the engagement for various reasons; that Aduro may lack funds to complete the HCT Pilot Plant and be unable to raise sufficient financing on satisfactory terms or at all to complete the project; that the design and development of the HCT Pilot Plant may fail to demonstrate the efficacy of Aduro's technology for converting waste plastics into valuable chemicals; that the design and development of the HCT Pilot Plant may fail to strengthen Aduro's path to full commercialization; that the design for the HCT Pilot Plant may not be completed on time or at all for various reasons; that the construction of the HCT Pilot Plant may not proceed as anticipated or at all for various reasons; that site preparation, training, materials handling and related activities for development for the project may fail to occur in a timely manner or at all for various reasons; that the Company's technology may fail to be commercialized for various reasons, including the development of competing technologies, failure to gain market share or various other reasons; the plant may lack the anticipated characteristics for successful commercialization across diverse customer applications; that Aduro's existing and prospective collaborators may choose alternative recycling and feedstock processing solutions; that Zeton's engagement may not provide the engineering capabilities to Aduro as anticipated or may otherwise fail to allow the Company to accomplish its goals; that the HCT Pilot Plant may fail to validate the Company's technology in real-world conditions and the design and construction of a commercial scale plant may never be achieved; that the project may fail to establish deeper relationships with potential strategic partners and leaders in the plastics industry or position the Company for long term value creation; that the Company's project may fail to manifest as a sustainable and impactful technology that addresses global environmental challenges; and that the Company's project may fail for various other reasons, including adverse market conditions and/or other factors beyond the control of the parties. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether because of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

The CSE has not reviewed, approved, or disapproved the content of this news release.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: