DuPont Leader Outlines Company’s Biofuels Growth Plans

NEW YORK, N.Y., October 3, 2006 - DuPont Biofuels Vice President and General Manager John Ranieri today outlined the company’s growth plans in the rapidly growing biofuels industry.


Speaking to investors at an ethanol conference here, Ranieri said, “DuPont is delivering advantaged products and technologies throughout the biofuels value chain. To address the energy issue, we must develop sustainable business and technical solutions that can be adapted across different geographies to successfully grow this industry.”


DuPont’s current biofuels focus includes: rapidly developing differentiated seeds and crop protection products that will enable greater biofuel production per acre; developing and supplying new technologies to enable conversion of cellulose to biofuels; and commercializing biobutanol as a next-generation biofuel that is significantly improved and complements incumbents.


Seed & Crop Protection Solutions: With more than $300 million in revenues expected this year from seed and crop protection solutions serving biofuels markets, DuPont subsidiary Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. has selected more than 135 seed hybrids marketed through its IndustrySelect® program. The program includes specialized grain properties that improve the efficiency of ethanol production. The seed and crop protection research pipeline includes yield traits in seeds and other products that will further improve ethanol production efficiency.


Integrated Corn-Based BioRefinery (Biofuels from Cellulose): DuPont and the U.S. Department of Energy are jointly funding a four-year research program to develop technology to convert corn stover into ethanol. This is aligned with the company’s strategy to develop technologies that can convert cellulosic crops into biofuels and biochemicals. The BioRefinery program will significantly increase the amount of ethanol per acre achievable by using corn grain and stover from the same amount of land.


Partnership with BP for Advanced Biofuels Development: DuPont’s partnership with BP to develop biobutanol is based on its strategy to bring to market advanced biofuels that can expand the transportation biofuels offering. Biobutanol’s performance enhancements include:

* Lowers the vapor pressure of fuel blends when co-blended with ethanol;
* Can be more easily distributed via the existing fuel supply infrastructure;
* Enhances fuel stability of biobutanol-gasoline blends;
* Improves blend flexibility, allowing higher biofuels blends with gasoline; and,
* Improves fuel efficiency (better miles per gallon) compared to incumbent biofuels.




The presentation and an audio webcast have been archived in the DuPont Investor Center at www.dupont.com .


DuPont is a science company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture, nutrition, electronics, communications, safety and protection, home and construction, transportation and apparel.


10/03/06


The DuPont Oval Logo, DuPont™, The miracles of science™, and IndustrySelect® are registered trademarks or trademarks of DuPont or its affiliates.

Contact Information

Marie Beletti

Media Relations Coordinator

DuPont

Contact via E-mail