ABB Assists Citroniq in Building an Industrial-Scale Bio-Based Polypropylene (PP) Plant

At the signing ceremony (from left to right): Mel Badh, President and Co-Founder of Citroniq; Kelly Knopp, CEO and Co-Founder of Citroniq; Mark Zyskowski, Vice President of Sales, Energy Industries Division, ABB USA; Tilak Pinnamaneni, Manager, Energy Industries Division, ABB USA. Photo provided by ABB/Citroniq.

According to ZhuanSu Vision, Switzerland-based ABB has reached a supply agreement with Citroniq, a supplier of bio-based polypropylene (PP), to provide advanced automation, electrification, and digitalization technologies for Citroniq's bio-based polypropylene plant in Nebraska. Reportedly, the plant is scheduled to begin operations in 2029, at which time it will become the world's first fully commercial-scale plant of its kind.

The plant will leverage the well-established U.S. corn-based ethanol industry to produce fully certified bio-based polypropylene. Citroniq stated that its strategy is to build a more sustainable plastics production platform in the United States and reduce emissions in the hard-to-abate plastics sector.

Domestic polypropylene production may reduce carbon emissions by 20%.

Citroniq claims that once the platform consisting of three factories is fully operational, it is expected to reduce the carbon emissions from domestic polypropylene production in the United States by 20%. The first factory will convert corn-based ethanol into polypropylene, capturing 3 million tons of carbon dioxide annually and permanently storing it as solid particles.

Citroniq stated that they have been collaborating with ABB since the early stages of the project because of ABB's "leading position and expertise in the field of automation—which is essential for projects of this kind."

ABB optimizes factory design and operation.

Once the final investment decision is made, ABB will provide its ABB Ability System 800xA distributed control technology, advanced process control, digital simulation, electrical equipment, instrumentation, and engineering services to optimize the design, delivery, and operation of the plant.

"We are proud to be involved in this complex project, leveraging our technology and expertise to help the United States build a low-carbon manufacturing infrastructure," said Per Erik Holsten, President of ABB Energy Industries. The Zurich-based company has a history of over 140 years and employs approximately 110,000 people worldwide.

Citroniq's plant located in Nebraska City reportedly has an annual production capacity of 600,000 tons. The company also plans to build two more plants of similar scale in Falls City, Nebraska. Citroniq's production platform uses locally produced ethanol and mature advanced technology to form its unique configuration. The company's E2O process can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, permanently sequester carbon into plastic pellets that can be used to manufacture new products, and help enterprises achieve net-zero goals.

The bio-based polypropylene market has enormous potential.

Polypropylene is widely used in the packaging sector and is also extensively applied in various consumer goods, automotive components, and medical products. Stephen Moore, contributing editor of PlasticsToday and CEO of MLT Analytics, stated that due to its lightweight, durability, and environmental advantages, bio-based polypropylene has enormous potential in the automotive sector. EU legislation requiring a certain proportion of recycled materials in automobiles may become an important driving force.

In a recent article, Moore wrote that EU legislation is accelerating "automakers' plans to achieve a 25% supply of recycled materials by the early 2030s." A report by MLT Analytics suggests that a key driver for bio-based polypropylene will be future policy announcements from the EU. Moore stated that Citroniq plans to produce bio-based polypropylene on a large scale in the United States, and similar initiatives in other regions around the world will further drive demand. "If all goes well, our market model estimates that more than 360,000 tons of bio-based PP will be used in automotive applications."