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Sustainea To Invest $400 Million Into Indiana Plant

The sustainable chemistry company has chosen Lafayette, IN for its first U.S. operation, a Bio-MEG industrial plant that will produce polyethylene terephthalate.

Sustainea, a company focused on sustainable chemistry, will locate its first U.S. operations in Indiana, investing $400 million to establish its first Bio-MEG (monoethylene glycol) industrial plant in Lafayette. The facility will be co-located with Illinois-based Primient, leveraging the company’s local supply of corn dextrose to produce a renewable, plant-based alternative to petroleum-based MEG. 

Sustainea is a joint venture between Brazil-based Braskem and Japan-based Sojitz with the aim to be the global leader in Bio-MEG, which can be used as a drop-in product, delivering quality and functionality while reducing the carbon footprint. The new facility in Lafayette will produce Bio-MEG from Primient’s dextrose — a carbohydrate derived from corn, providing a renewable chemical that is a key component in the manufacturing of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). There are numerous applications across various sectors for PET, including textiles (apparel, footwear) and packaging (beverage bottles, food packaging).

“This partnership marks a significant step forward in building one of the largest sustainability ventures globally,” said Gustavo Sergi, CEO of Sustainea. “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 market.”

“Indiana is a global agbiosciences leader, and we are excited to welcome Sustainea to our thriving ecosystem of growers, manufacturers and innovators,” said Governor Eric Holcomb. “Today’s news not only marks a significant win for the growth of this future-focused sector in Indiana and globally, but it represents growing ties between Indiana and Brazil and creates new opportunities for our two regions to work together for the benefit of our economies and our people.”  

Indiana
Gov. Holcomb meets with Sustainea leadership, including CEO Gustavo Sergi, in Brazil during a trip to the country in April 2024. (Photo: Indiana Economic Development Corporation)

The company plans to break ground on its new Indiana operation following the finalization of engineering and final investment decision and expects to begin production in 2028. Sustainea plans to create up to 191 new, high-wage jobs in the coming years. 

Based on the company’s investment plans, the Indiana Economic Development Corporation has shown its interest and confidence in the project by committing up to $6.9 million in incentive-based tax credits, as well as up to $100,000 in training grants. These incentives are performance-based, enabling the company to claim state benefits once the investments are made. Additionally, the city of Lafayette and Tippecanoe County are offering further incentives.

“We are very excited to welcome Sustainea to Lafayette” said Tony Roswarski, Mayor of Lafayette. “They will bring $400 million of new investments into our community and create a significant number of new local jobs in this emerging agbioscience sector. They will also be a strong partner for Primient, enabling them to grow their local operation. Like others before them, we couldn’t be happier that their competitive site selection process led them to conclude that Lafayette is the best place in the U.S. for them to implement their state-of-the-art technology. The benefits this project will bring to our economy and environment align with our city’s long-term vision for growth and innovation for decades to come.”

“The news that Sustainea is getting prepared to break ground in Lafayette as their first U.S. operation is exciting news for our Indiana row crop farmers,” said Don Lamb, Director of the Indiana State Department of Agriculture. “Indiana corn farmers produce over 1 billion bushels of corn each year. Sustainea’s renewable and sustainable products will open a new market for Indiana producers, and we are grateful they chose our state to expand into the U.S.”

Check out all the latest news related to Indiana economic development, corporate relocation, corporate expansion and site selection.

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Bio-MEG, Capital Investment, Economic Development, Governor Eric Holcomb, Greater Lafayette Commerce, indiana, Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Lafayette, Manufacturing, Single Location, Site Selection, Sustainea

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