Solugen, a climate technology company in the chemicals industry, broke ground on its new 500,000-square-foot biomanufacturing facility - Bioforge Marshall - in Marshall, Minnesota, as part of a strategic collaboration with ADM, a developer of sustainably sourced ingredients and nutrition solutions.
The partnership aims to meet the increasing demand for sustainable solutions while bolstering domestic biomanufacturing capabilities.
"Today's groundbreaking represents a key milestone in our growth journey, underscoring our commitment to innovation and the future of biomanufacturing in the US," said Gaurab Chakrabarti, CEO and Co-Founder of Solugen. "As the demand for sustainable products continues to rise, we look forward to partnering with our customers in their decarbonization efforts."
The facility is being developed on a 34-acre parcel near ADM's existing corn processing complex and will utilize ADM-sourced dextrose to manufacture low-carbon organic acids for applications in water treatment, agriculture, energy, and home and personal care.
While dextrose will serve as the primary feedstock, with an estimated 150 million pounds converted annually at full production, the facility will have two dextrose pipelines connecting directly to the adjacent ADM plant. This will help improve production and reduce the cost and emissions associated with transport.
The facility will be comprised of three modular trains, or production lines, to provide a total production capacity of up to 120 kilotonnes per annum of product. During construction, the project will employ up to 100 temporary workers, and upon reaching full production, it is expected to create over 50 high-skill manufacturing jobs.
The facility's pioneering process is estimated to avoid emissions of up to 18 million kg of CO2 per year compared to the base case of similar petrochemical and fermentation-based products.
"Solugen's chemienzymatic technology is a transformative force in sustainable chemical manufacturing," said Sean Hunt, Co-Founder and CTO of Solugen. "The new facility will significantly increase our existing capabilities, enabling us to expand the market share of low-carbon chemistries."
The facility is expected to be operational in the fall of 2025 and serve as an economic driver for the city of Marshall.
Additionally, Solugen was awarded $760,000 in financial incentives from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development's Job Creation Fund (JCF).
Solugen has initiated collaborations with local educational institutions and workforce development groups, such as Marshall Public Schools, Minnesota West Community and Technical College, Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU), Southwest Minnesota Private Industry Council, and Marshall Chamber of Commerce.
