{"id":165973,"date":"2025-07-28T07:37:00","date_gmt":"2025-07-28T05:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=165973"},"modified":"2025-07-25T09:20:21","modified_gmt":"2025-07-25T07:20:21","slug":"qore-launches-in-eddyville-iowa-ushering-in-large-scale-corn-processing-for-bio-based-solutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/qore-launches-in-eddyville-iowa-ushering-in-large-scale-corn-processing-for-bio-based-solutions\/","title":{"rendered":"Qore Launches in Eddyville, Iowa, Ushering in Large-Scale Corn Processing for Bio-Based Solutions"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
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Qore, a joint venture of Minnesota-based Cargill and Germany-based HELM, is officially starting production of QIRA\u00ae, the world\u2019s first large-scale 1,4-butanediol (BDO) made from locally grown dent corn. The $300-million, 66,000 annual metric ton facility, located in Eddyville, Iowa, will celebrate the start of production with a grand opening event on July 22, 2025, with state officials, customers, farmer partners and industry leaders.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Qore, a joint venture of Minnesota-based Cargill and Germany-based HELM, is officially starting production of QIRA<\/a>\u00ae, the world\u2019s first large-scale 1,4-butanediol (BDO) made from locally grown dent corn. QIRA is derived from annually renewable crops and serves as an impactful alternative to a fossil-derived equivalent used in the manufacture of consumer goods.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A grand opening event, held on July 22, 2025, will celebrate the completion of the $300-million facility and the official start of QIRA production. The event will include elected officials, Iowa farmers, interactive exhibits, and a panel discussion with company employees, executives, and QIRA customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new facility is set to produce 66,000 metric tons of QIRA, using corn grown primarily within 100 miles of the site. As the world\u2019s largest facility of its kind, it marks a major step forward in meeting global demand for more sustainable materials in everyday consumer products.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cQore is able to leverage the deep agricultural network and world-class fermentation technology expertise from Cargill and HELM\u2019s global market reach to bring QIRA to life,\u201d said Jon Veldhouse, CEO of Qore<\/strong>. \u201cBy providing a reliable, renewable, and transparent feedstock, QIRA helps global manufacturers and brands implement identical materials that reduce reliance on oversea supply chains, bringing more transparency to their product portfolios.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

At the heart of the environmental benefits are Iowa farmers who apply regenerative agriculture practices for growing dent corn. These practices are a holistic and inclusive approach to land management, meant to restore soil and ecosystem health. The proximity of the feedstock enables greater traceability and transparency throughout the supply chain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cThis is a bold, exciting step forward for Qore, our state, and the supply chains of the world. Now, thanks to the incredible innovation behind QIRA, Qore\u2019s bio-based BDO, Iowa crops will not only feed and fuel the globe but sustain it,\u201d Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds<\/strong> said. \u201cI\u2019m grateful to Cargill, HELM, and everyone who helped steward this site from vision to reality. In doing so, they\u2019ve paved the way to stronger markets and more sustainable supply chains. I couldn\u2019t be happier to help Qore, its workers, and our citizens reach new heights of prosperity \u2014 together.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Versatile Applications for a Range of Industries<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

QIRA\u00ae is an identical replacement to fossil-derived BDO and can readily drop in to manufacturing processes across multiple industries, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • Fashion and Footwear<\/strong> \u2013 Helping to reduce the environmental footprint of textiles and apparel, while providing transparency of feedstock<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Beauty and Personal Care<\/strong> \u2013 Offering more sustainable alternatives for existing ingredient formulations<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Automotive and Electronics<\/strong> \u2013 Supporting more sustainable advancements in durable goods<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Packaging<\/strong> \u2013 Lowering reliance on fossil-based plastics derived from petroleum and coal<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Top companies are already integrating QIRA\u00ae into their product strategies. The LYCRA Company is adopting QIRA\u00ae to enhance the sustainability of LYCRA\u00ae fiber, with the potential to reduce its carbon footprint by up to 44-percent* compared to fossil-based alternatives \u2013 all without sacrificing performance. Similarly, BASF, a global leader in chemical innovation, has secured a long-term supply agreement to incorporate QIRA\u00ae into its existing derivatives portfolio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    “By offering a bio-based alternative to fossil-based feedstock, we are empowering brands to reduce their environmental impact and respond to consumer demands for transparency, more sustainable, high-performing products,” said Steve Kuiper, a fourth-generation Iowa farmer<\/strong>. \u201cOur community is proud to play a vital role in making everyday products more sustainable.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    *Estimate from Cradle-to-Gate Screening LCA for a representative LYCRA\u00ae fiber manufacturing facility, June 2022, prepared by Ramboll Americas Engineering Solutions, Inc.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Qore, a joint venture of Minnesota-based Cargill and Germany-based HELM, is officially starting production of QIRA\u00ae, the world\u2019s first large-scale 1,4-butanediol (BDO) made from locally grown dent corn. QIRA is derived from annually renewable crops and serves as an impactful alternative to a fossil-derived equivalent used in the manufacture of consumer goods. A grand opening event, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":165976,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"Grand opening showcases QIRA\u00ae, a renewably derived alternative to fossil-based manufacturing","footnotes":""},"categories":[5572],"tags":[6630,5838,17299,18540,10416,18684],"supplier":[230,4009,7958,19611,26717],"class_list":["post-165973","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-bio-based","tag-agriculture","tag-bioeconomy","tag-biomanufacturing","tag-butanediol","tag-circulareconomy","tag-corn","supplier-cargill-inc","supplier-helm-ag","supplier-iowa-state","supplier-qore","supplier-ramboll-americas-engineering-solutions-inc"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=165973"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/165973\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/165976"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=165973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=165973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=165973"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=165973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}