Sustainea’s $400M MEG Monster heads for Indiana and Primient

In Indiana, Sustainea will build a $400 Bio-MEG (ethylene glycol) plant and will co-locate the project at the Primient facility in Lafayette, Indiana. The two companiues also announced a supply agreement for corn dextrose from the Primient plant, 

Groundbreaking is set to begin after conclusion of engineering and final investment decision, with production expected to start in 2028.

The Sustainea backstory 

Sustianea is a joint venture between Braskem and Sojitz Corporation,created with the ambition to be the global leader in Bio-MEG, which can be used as a drop-in product, delivering high quality and functionality while significantly reducing the carbon footprint. 

Sustainea’s business plan includes the construction of three industrial plants with annual production capacity of 700,000 tons of Bio-MEG.

Last August, we reported that Origin Materials and Sustainea signed a strategic partnership with the aim of advancing biobased materials produced using Origin’s technology platform and Sustainea’s biobased glycol products and market expertise.

Sustainea signed two multi-year capacity reservation agreements to purchase renewable chemicals from Origin Materials, including biobased PTA and biobased FDCA. PTA is a fundamental feedstock for a broad variety of market applications, including PET polyester packaging, textiles, clothing, plastics, car parts, tires, carpeting, and toys. FDCA is a raw material whose commercial applications include surfactants, epoxy resins, and the next-gen polymer PEF (polyethylene furanoate).

The Primient backstory

Primient is a leading manufacturer of plant-based ingredients and industry leader in producing high-quality, low carbon dextrose. Adding Primient’s feedstock to Sustainea’s Bio-MEG plant,  will significantly reduce the need for traditional fossil-based plastics by producing bioproducts for beverage bottles, food containers, apparel, and footwear.

Reactions from the stakeholders

Gustavo Sergi, Chief Executive Officer of Sustainea says, “This partnership marks a significant step forward in building one of the largest sustainability ventures globally. Primient has proven to be a strategic partner and long-term ally, with notable operational synergies and shared values. The high energy efficiency and low-carbon dextrose produced at the Lafayette plant will uniquely position Sustainea’s products for both sustainability and competitiveness. This announcement greatly serves our customers who will benefit from decarbonizing an ever-growing PET [polyethylene terephthalate] market.”

Jim Stutelberg, Chief Executive Officer of Primient, said “We chose a co-location partnership with Sustainea due to our aligned vision and mission, and because Sustainea’s Bio-MEG has a very strong value proposition in today’s marketplace. The selection of Lafayette is a validation of Primient’s industry-leading low carbon footprint, enabled by our investments in co-generation capabilities to transition production entirely away from the use of coal. Our collaboration with Sustainea is a great example of Primient truly living our vision of building a better future through plant-based solutions. By integrating Primient and Sustainea’s strengths, we are driving biobased innovation and filling the void for renewable, plant-based solutions.”