Vertex Energy, Inc. (NASDAQ: VTNR) ("Vertex" or “the Company"), a leading specialty refiner and marketer of high-quality refined products, today announced that it has received approval from the Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") for the generation of D4 Renewable Identification Numbers (“RINs”) credits under the federal Renewable Fuel Standard ("RFS"), for each gallon of renewable fuel produced at its refining facility located outside of Mobile, Alabama (the “Mobile Refinery”). Currently, the Company's Mobile Facility is producing approximately 5,500 barrels per day (“bpd”) with plans to increase toward the Phase I installed capacity target of 8,000 bpd, by the end of 2Q23, in-line with previously disclosed targets.

"We are pleased to announce the recent completion of our D4 RIN certification process by the EPA, as it recognizes our demonstrated ability to meet the stringent criteria for renewable fuel attributes," said Benjamin P. Cowart, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Vertex, who continued, "With our RINS certification in place, we continue to further strengthen our goal of becoming a trusted provider of high-quality renewable fuels, helping us to drive the transition to a more sustainable energy landscape."

The Company anticipates initial commercial product sales of renewable diesel within the second quarter of 2023.

ABOUT VERTEX ENERGY

Vertex Energy is a leading energy transition company that specializes in producing both renewable and conventional fuels. Our innovative solutions are designed to enhance the performance of our customers and partners while also prioritizing sustainability, safety, and operational excellence. With a commitment to providing superior products and services, Vertex Energy is dedicated to shaping the future of the energy industry.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain of the matters discussed in this communication which are not statements of historical fact constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the securities laws, including the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Words such as “strategy,” “expects,” “continues,” “plans,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “would,” “will,” “estimates,” “intends,” “projects,” “goals,” “targets” and other words of similar meaning are intended to identify forward-looking statements but are not the exclusive means of identifying these statements. Any statements made in this news release other than those of historical fact, about an action, event or development, are forward-looking statements. The important factors that may cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those contained in such forward-looking statements include, without limitation: the future production of the Company’s Mobile Refinery; the timing for commercial product sales of renewable diesel; anticipated and unforeseen events which could reduce future production at the refinery or delay future capital projects, changes in commodity and credits values, and certain early termination rights associated with third party agreements and conditions precedent to such agreements; certain mandatory redemption provisions of the outstanding senior convertible notes, the conversion rights associated therewith, and dilution caused by conversions and/or the exchanges of convertible notes; the Company’s ability to comply with required covenants under outstanding senior notes and a term loan and pay amounts due under such senior notes and term loan, including interest and other amounts due thereunder; the ability of the Company to retain and hire key personnel; the level of competition in the Company’s industry and its ability to compete; the Company’s ability to respond to changes in its industry; the loss of key personnel or failure to attract, integrate and retain additional personnel; the Company’s ability to protect intellectual property and not infringe on others’ intellectual property; the Company’s ability to scale its business; the Company’s ability to maintain supplier relationships and obtain adequate supplies of feedstocks; the Company’s ability to obtain and retain customers; the Company’s ability to produce products at competitive rates; the Company’s ability to execute its business strategy in a very competitive environment; trends in, and the market for, the price of oil and gas and alternative energy sources; the impact of inflation on margins and costs; the volatile nature of the prices for oil and gas caused by supply and demand, including volatility caused by the ongoing Ukraine/Russia conflict, increased interest rates, recessions and increased inflation; the Company’s ability to maintain relationships with partners; the outcome of pending and potential future litigation, judgments and settlements; rules and regulations making the Company’s operations more costly or restrictive; changes in environmental and other laws and regulations and risks associated with such laws and regulations; economic downturns both in the United States and globally, increases in inflation and interest rates, increased costs of borrowing associated therewith and potential declines in the availability of such funding; risk of increased regulation of the Company’s operations and products; disruptions in the infrastructure that the Company and its partners rely on; interruptions at the Company’s facilities; unexpected and expected changes in the Company’s anticipated capital expenditures resulting from unforeseen and expected required maintenance, repairs, or upgrades; the Company’s ability to acquire and construct new facilities; the Company’s ability to effectively manage growth; decreases in global demand for, and the price of, oil, due to inflation, recessions or other reasons, including declines in economic activity or global conflicts; the Company’s ability to acquire sufficient amounts of used oil feedstock through our collection routes, to produce finished products, and in the absence of such internally collected feedstocks, and its ability to acquire third-party feedstocks on commercially reasonable terms; expected and unexpected downtime at the Company’s facilities; the Company’s level of indebtedness, which could affect its ability to fulfill its obligations, impede the implementation of its strategy, and expose the Company’s interest rate risk; dependence on third party transportation services and pipelines; risks related to obtaining required crude oil supplies, and the costs of such supplies; counterparty credit and performance risk; unanticipated problems at, or downtime effecting, the Company’s facilities and those operated by third parties; risks relating to the Company’s hedging activities or lack of hedging activities; and risks relating to planned and future divestitures and acquisitions.

Other important factors that may cause actual results and outcomes to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements included in this communication are described in the Company’s publicly filed reports, including, but not limited to, the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10‑K for the year ended December 31, 2022, and the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2023, and future Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. These reports are available at www.sec.gov. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of important factors is not complete. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or any person acting on behalf of the Company are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements referenced above. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on Vertex’s future results. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. Vertex cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Finally, Vertex undertakes no obligation to update these statements after the date of this release, except as required by law, and takes no obligation to update or correct information prepared by third parties that are not paid for by Vertex. If we update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.

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