MARSHALL, MINNESOTA, US — Construction has begun on a new biomanufacturing facility being built by climate technology company Solugen in a strategic partnership with ADM that aims to meet increasing demand for sustainable solutions while supporting domestic biomanufacturing capabilities.

Ground was broken for the Bioforge Marshall facility during an April 11 ceremony at the site in Marshall, Minnesota, US, a 34-acre parcel of land adjacent to ADM’s existing corn processing complex. The 500,000-square-foot facility will utilize ADM-sourced dextrose to manufacture low-carbon organic acids for applications in water treatment, agriculture, energy and home and personal care. It is expected to come online in fall 2025.

Bioforge Marshall will house three modular trains, or production lines, with a total production capacity of up to 120 kilotonnes per annum (KTA) of product. The facility will employ up to 100 temporary workers during construction and is expected to create more than 50 high-skill manufacturing jobs upon reaching full production.

The pioneering process employed by Solugen’s Bioforge Marshall facility is estimated to avoid the emissions of up to 18 million kilograms of carbon dioxide (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 chief technology officer, Solugen. “The new facility will significantly increase our existing capabilities, enabling us to expand the market share of low carbon chemistries.”

Dextrose will serve as the primary feedstock, with an estimated 150 million pounds (68 million kg) converted annually at full production. The facility will feature two dextrose pipelines connecting directly to the adjacent ADM plant, boosting production and significantly lowering the cost and emissions associated with transport.

“We are excited to be taking the next step in our partnership with Solugen and to help meet the increasing demand for sustainable products,” said Chris Cuddy, senior vice president, president of ADM’s Carbohydrate Solutions business unit. “Sustainability is core to ADM’s purpose and one of the enduring global trends powering our strategic growth. Our partnership with Solugen offers another avenue in which ADM can diversify the products made from our corn stream and continue to support plant-based solutions for use in a wide variety of consumer and industrial products.”

As part of the partnership, the companies also plan to collaborate on commercialization opportunities of these biomaterials for a range of applications, including energy, water treatment, agriculture, construction materials, cleaning, personal care and more.

With a robust and cost-competitive supply of corn, alongside advanced corn-to-dextrose conversion technology, Houston, Texas, US-based Solugen said in announcing the partnership that Marshall is the ideal location to support the scale of the company’s products.