Solazyme Awarded California Energy Commission Grant to Develop Clean Fuel from Local Cellulosic Feedstocks

PIER Grant Drives Sustainable Fuel Development and Commercialization

South San Francisco, Calif. - August 4, 2009 - Solazyme, Inc., a renewable oil production company and leading algal biotechnology company, was awarded a $789,697 Biosynthetic Transportation Fuel Production grant from the California Energy Commission's Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) program. The award will further Solazyme's research and development of a clean, renewable fuel from cellulosic feedstocks with associated economic benefits and local employment opportunities.

"This grant will make renewable and fossil-free transportation fuels more readily available and help the state reduce greenhouse gas emissions," said Karen Douglas, Chairman of the California Energy Commission. "The research will also create new fuel production in California, opening up more employment opportunities and economic growth."

The PIER Program Opportunity Notice (PON) announced that up to $1.65 million was available for PIER project funding. Nearly half of those funds were awarded to Solazyme.

"The development of a sustainable fuel that boosts the economy and creates local jobs while reducing environmental impact is critical to California's future. We are happy to receive this grant and view it as further validation of Solazyme's leadership position in the
development of clean and renewable advanced biofuels," said Jonathan Wolfson, chief executive officer of Solazyme. "The California Energy Commission's demonstrated leadership in driving commercial innovation for a cleaner and more prosperous state is well known and we are pleased to be working with California on such an important project."

Solazyme has already produced laboratory scale quantities of oil from multiple cellulosic feedstocks, including switchgrass, miscanthus, sugar beet pulp, corn stover and sugarcane bagasse, and has identified a number of algae strains that grow on these types of feedstocks. The grant supports the company's ongoing efforts to:

• Evaluate and procure local cellulosic sugars
• Identify and optimize algal strains for oil production from cellulosic sources
• Convert algal biomass to oil
• Develop a commercialization plan and roadmap for Soladiesel™.

By using feedstocks that grow in California and are considered waste, the project supports the production of a clean fuel that protects valuable water and arable land resources while minimizing dependence on imported fuel.

The PIER Program supports public interest energy research and development that will help improve the quality of life in California by bringing environmentally safe, affordable and reliable energy services and products to the marketplace. For more information about the PIER Program, please visit http://www.energy.ca.gov/pier/.

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About Solazyme:

Solazyme, Inc. is a renewable oil production company and the leader in algal synthetic biology. Solazyme’s unique microbial conversion technology process allows algae to produce oil in standard industrial facilities quickly, efficiently and at large scale. These oils are tailored not only for advanced biofuel production, but also as replacements for fossil petroleum and plant oils in a diverse range of products running from green household cleaning supplies to cosmetics and foods. The company was founded in 2003 and has its headquarters in South San Francisco, Calif. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.solazyme.com.

For more inforamtion contact:

Genet Garamendi, Solazyme Inc., 650-963-5228, ggaramendi@solazyme.com

Beth Starkin, Peppercom, 212-931-6108, bstarkin@peppercom.com