Cargill’s First-of-Its-Kind Facility in the US to Process Plant-Based Sugars, Provide Alternate to Chemicals from Fossil Sources

(Credit: Genomatica)

The first commercial-scale, renewable bio-based BDO (butanediol) facility in the US will be built as a joint venture between Cargill and HELM; the facility will provide brands the ability to replace fossil-based chemistries with bio-based intermediates and thus reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The two companies are investing a combined $300 million on the facility, which will be completed and operating in 2024.

Bio-based intermediates give the apparel, automotive, electronics and packaging industries the ability to improve their environmental footprint “without sacrificing product performance or altering their existing downstream manufacturing processes,” the two companies say.

The venture, dubbed Qore, will focus on producing QIRA, the next-generation 1,4-butanediol (BDO). Made biologically through the fermentation of plant-based sugars, QIRA can save up to 93% of greenhouse gas emissions when replacing today’s widely used chemical intermediates made from traditional fossil sources. QIRA can be used the same way as its chemical counterpart but with significantly better environmental performance. For example, QIRA can be used for making spandex and other polyester-based chemical fibers as well as biodegradable plastics, polyurethane coatings, sealants and artificial leathers, according to the companies.

Qore has licensed Genomatica’s BDO process technology and is using Cargill’s global feedstock supply and fermentation manufacturing expertise to initially produce and distribute an expected 65,000 metric tons per year minimally of its first bio-intermediate, QIRA. HELM will work with brand owners, original equipment manufacturers and their suppliers to incorporate QIRA into their respective products.

As consumers demand more sustainable products, brands are looking for more environmentally-friendly solutions. “With consumers on the side of sustainability and renewably-sourced options for common apparel materials like nylon becoming available, the choice for brands should become easy,” predicts Christophe Schilling, Genomatica’s CEO.

Cargill’s supply chain and product commercialization experience in several bioindustrial markets, combined with HELM’s experience with chemical applications, will help meet this need, says Jill Zullo, VP of biointermediates/bio industrial at Cargill. The new facility will use about 30,000 bushels of corn per day, Zullo says (via Successful Farming).