LONDON, Ontario, Dec. 16, 2025 (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 21^st century, is pleased to announce its successful graduation from the Shell GameChanger program. This milestone marks the culmination of a multi-year collaboration under Shell's Chemical Decarbonisation innovation call; an initiative launched to identify and advance emerging technologies with the potential to reduce carbon intensity in the chemical sector and enable circular feedstock pathways.

Aduro was accepted to the Shell GameChanger program following a competitive review that identified its Hydrochemolytic™ Technology (HCT) as a potentially promising approach to producing high-quality hydrocarbons from mixed waste plastics, offering a potential route to decarbonize chemicals manufacturing.

Following the agreed program, Aduro conducted a series of technical evaluations to assess the performance of its patented chemistry, including selectivity toward steam-crackable hydrocarbons in the C₅–C₂₃ range, suppression of olefin formation, and tolerance to common contaminants such as PET, polyamides, and PVC. Under the tested conditions, the process yielded over 80 percent liquid hydrocarbons with lower gas and char formation. These findings suggest potential advantages in feedstock flexibility, product selectivity, and process efficiency. In addition, Aduro advanced its understanding of reaction kinetics and process design parameters, which now inform the further development of its proprietary system architecture.

These results confirm that Hydrochemolytic™ Technology holds the potential to convert complex, contaminated waste plastics into high-quality liquid hydrocarbons under continuous operation, using readily available industrial equipment. The program also provided external validation of Aduro's process-design model, establishing confidence in its engineering scale-up pathway from continuous flow reactor to Next Generation Process (NGP) Pilot Plant and future Demonstration Plant stages. Insights gained through this collaboration supported ongoing efforts to optimize process performance and informed the Company's ongoing Pilot Plant commissioning and the engineering design of its Demonstration-scale facility, targeted for approximately 8,000 tonnes per year of input capacity.

"Graduation from the Shell GameChanger program marks an important milestone in the development of our Hydrochemolytic Technology (HCT), taking it from early validation of the chemistry to demonstrating the process under continuous operation and preparing for scale-up," said Ofer Vicus, CEO at Aduro. "I would like to express my deepest appreciation to Ed Holgate, Principal, Shell GameChanger / Innovation Partnership Manager and Guus van Rossum, Team Leader, Sustainable Opportunities and Process Technology for their guidance and support, and to the broader Shell GameChanger team for their professionalism and commitment to advancing innovation in chemical decarbonisation. Their engagement has been instrumental in helping us reach this milestone and in reinforcing Aduro's role as a developer of chemical technologies that enable practical solutions for the energy transition."

Graduation from the GameChanger program represents the successful conclusion of an intensive, multi-year external validation process that strengthened engineering and commercial readiness. While the formal engagement concludes at this stage, Aduro plans to remain in contact with Shell, providing updates on the operations of its newly commissioned Pilot Plant and on the progress toward its Demonstration-scale facility.

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 21^st century.

For further information, please contact:

Abe Dyck, Head of Business Development and Investor Relations

ir@adurocleantech.com

+1 226 784 8889

KCSA Strategic Communications

Jack Perkins, Senior Vice President

aduro@kcsa.com

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws, including the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events, or developments that the Company plans, expects, intends, anticipates or believes will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. These include statements regarding the Company's graduation from the Shell GameChanger program, the advancement and scale-up of the Company's Hydrochemolytic™ Technology, the development, commissioning, and operation of the Pilot Plant and Demonstration Plant, commercialization plans and timelines, future partnerships or offtake agreements, and the anticipated advantages of the technology compared to conventional processes.

Forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, assumptions regarding successful commissioning and continuous operation of the Pilot Plant, ability to secure sufficient financing for the Demonstration Plant and future scale-up, availability of skilled personnel and engineering resources, stable supply of feedstock at anticipated cost and quality, continued intellectual property protection, market demand for recycled hydrocarbons, and a stable regulatory environment supporting chemical recycling and decarbonization initiatives. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, challenges in scaling the technology, engineering or design delays, fluctuations in oil prices and petrochemical markets, changes in environmental or chemical regulations, supply chain disruptions, difficulties in securing partnerships or offtake agreements, limitations in raising capital on acceptable terms, competitive pressures from alternative technologies, and operational issues that could affect the performance of the Pilot or Demonstration Plants,, and other factors beyond the Company's control.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Aduro undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law.

Aduro Shell GameChanger

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1219d523-b66a-45f6-b441-204dde3c994b

Aduro Clean Technologies Graduates from Shell GameChanger Program