Neste Oil, REG settle renewable diesel patent dispute in Singapore, US

Renewable Energy Group (REG) and Neste Oil have entered into a settlement and license agreement whereby the parties have settled Neste’s US patent infringement lawsuit against REG and REG’s Singapore patent infringement lawsuit against Neste.

Additionally, REG has licensed certain Neste Oil NEXBTL technology and intellectual property rights for use at REG Geismar.

"We are happy to have reached a satisfactory resolution with Neste Oil to the US patent infringement lawsuit we inherited in the acquisitions of Syntroleum and Dynamic Fuels," said Eric Bowen, REG's vice president of corporate business development and legal affairs. 

"This agreement resolves our dispute with Neste regarding the alleged infringement of Neste’s patents by REG Geismar," he added. "Through these discussions with Neste, we discovered useful Neste intellectual property that through this license we will now be able to use to enhance operational flexibility for REG Geismar."

The companies say the settlement reflects the conclusion that continued pursuit of the US and Singapore patent infringement lawsuits was counterproductive. With the disputes now resolved, REG and Neste Oil say they look forward to working together to grow and expand the renewable fuels and chemicals marketplace globally.

"We are happy that our prolonged patent disputes with respect to renewable diesel have been satisfactorily resolved through constructive discussions with another respected biofuel producer," said Lars Peter Lindfors, senior vice president of technology at Neste Oil.

The settlement is not an admission by either party as to the validity or infringement by one party of the other party’s patents, according to the news release.

REG became the owner of the former Dynamic Fuels facility in Geismar, Louisiana in June, 2014. REG inherited the US and Singapore patent lawsuits that are now settled as part of the acquisitions of Syntroleum Corp. and Dynamic Fuels.