Chicago Construction New staff writer
Crysalis Biosciences Inc. will build a $6 million sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) plant in Sauget, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of the fuel and chemical industry in Illinois.
The company will repurpose a shuttered 57-acre ethanol plant, aiming to produce 5,000 to 10,000 barrels of low-carbon intensity SAF and feedstock daily, with a carbon intensity score 90 percent lower than traditional fossil-derived jet fuel.
Crysalis has secured one of the first environmental authorizations to operate under new Illinois Environmental Protection Agency standards.
“There is no better state equipped for the sustainable fuel industry than Illinois,” said Governor J.B. Pritzker. “With this investment, Crysalis Biosciences will establish a state-of-the-art sustainable aviation fuel plant, advancing our mission to drive economic growth while minimizing our carbon footprint. This marks a new era of clean energy production for Illinois.”
As a leading biorefiner, the company expects to meet the increasing demand for SAF and facilitate the transition to zero-carbon products. The company chose Sauget for its strategic geographic advantages.
“Crysalis Biosciences is very appreciative of the support from the Governor and the DCEO for our first-of-its-kind biorefinery,” said Crysalis CEO Sanket Gandhi. “We are bringing innovative zero-carbon chemistry and technology developed in the lab to the market.”
Crysalis will receive REV incentives as part of its $6 million investment. This is the first agreement secured for a sustainable aviation fuel manufacturing project under the REV program, which supports electric vehicle, solar, renewable, and energy storage manufacturers in Illinois.
Crysalis’ investment builds on a series of significant REV agreements this year, including Rivian’s $1.5 billion investment to produce its R2 model in Central Illinois and several other clean energy projects statewide.
