FALLS CITY - ABB, a tech company with stocks traded in Switzerland and Sweden, announced its collaboration with a company that is proposing a bio-based polypropylene facility in Nebraska.

ABB will provide automation, electrification and digitalization solutions for the facility at Falls City, which is scheduled to start operating in 2029.

Citroniq Chemicals aims to build the world’s first commercial-scale polypropylene facility using corn-based ethanol as feedstock to advance low-carbon plastics manufacturing.

Lucas Froeschl of Falls City EDGE said one of the reasons the Mid-America Rail Campus has appeal for Citroniq is the space available. While Citroniq would use about half of the 1,000-acre space, the other half would be available for manufacturers that could use the polypropylene made by Citroniq.

Polypropylene is used for food packaging, automotive parts, consumer goods and medical devices.

Citroniq proposes a three-plant platform. The first facility will convert corn-based ethanol into polypropylene, capturing Co2 in solid pellets.

Froeschl said Falls City is in the midst of building a new electrical transmission line. He said the new line is needed whether Citroniq locates at the city or not.

He said all options for utilities are being explored and the city is preparing for an influx of jobs by improving its housing stock.

Citroniq says its Nebraska operations would make sufficient polypropylene for compounders and molders to run dedicated product lines. The company expects a byproduct of 117 million gallons of clean water, while sequestering over 500,000 tons of Co2 per year.

Citroniq’s website says the use of polypropylene products for durable goods prevents the Co2 absorbed from the air by corn from returning to the atmosphere.

 On Sept. 16, ABB announced plans to invest $110 million in the United States and expanded research and development for electrification solutions to increase energy efficiency and reduce energy costs.

Froeschl said one of the reasons the Falls City location is appealing to the developers is because of its proximity to the Missouri River. He said equipment provided by the European company is so large it is best transported by barge.

 ABB photo: From the left, Mel Badheka, Citroniq President & Co-Founder; Kelly Knopp, Citroniq CEO & Co-Founder; Mark Zyskowski, ABB Energy Industries Vice President Sales US; Tilak Pinnamaneni, ABB Energy Industries US Division Manager.