Nebraska Plant Aims to Turn Corn Ethanol into Sustainable Plastic
Citroniq is building a bio-polypropylene production facility in southeast Nebraska that will use corn ethanol instead of fossil fuels to manufacture polypropylene. The company's CEO and founder, Kelly Knopp, said the product is chemically identical to conventional polypropylene but made from renewable feedstock.
The plant near Falls City will create a significant new source of demand for corn, requiring approximately 137 million bushels each year through ethanol production. This represents a 'material amount of new corn demand' for growers, according to Knopp.
Citroniq plans to market its bio-based polypropylene primarily to the automotive and construction industries, where it can replace conventional plastic without requiring manufacturers to change their processes. The product also offers environmental benefits because the manufacturing process captures more carbon dioxide than it emits.
The company is targeting a groundbreaking in late 2027, with commercial operations expected to begin in 2029. Citroniq plans to build three production plants as part of its expansion into sustainable, domestically produced plastics made from American-grown corn.