IPP leases Minnesota industrial plant to Nuol Green Chemistry

The former Superbrewed industrial plant in Little Falls, Minnesota, has leased by International Process Plants to Nuol Green Chemistry.

International Process Plants (IPP), the world’s largest seller of used process plants, systems and equipment, has completed the lease of a 40-million-gallon-per-year bio-acetone and bio-butanol plant in Little Falls, Minnesota, to Nuol Green Chemistry. This industrial plant deal is the latest example of IPP’s commitment to sustainability, repurposing existing assets to meet the needs of the growing green chemicals market.

The plant, formerly operated as a fuel-grade ethanol facility, has been repositioned to support Nuol’s production of bio-based acetone and butanol, essential ingredients for products across the chemical, pharmaceutical, and consumer goods industries. According to SOCMA, this lease underscores IPP’s ongoing work to help manufacturers access fully functional plants without the cost, time, and environmental impact of new construction.

Located in Little Falls, the site features fermentation and distillation systems, process tanks, dryers, filtration equipment and on-site wastewater treatment, making it ideal for Nuol’s research, testing, and full-scale production. IPP acquired the site as part of its global strategy to buy, reposition and resell surplus industrial plants.

(Search IPP’s inventory of used plants)

“This marks another significant milestone in IPP’s mission to drive the transition toward sustainable manufacturing using assets we have versus assets that need to be built new,” said Ron Gale, IPP president, in the Contract Pharma announcement. “Nuol Green Chemistry’s leadership and technical teams bring many decades of proven expertise in renewable feedstock fermentation and biohydrolysis, aligning perfectly with our commitment to repurposing industrial assets such as this site for a greener future.”

By leasing this plant, Nuol accelerates its time to market, avoiding the multi-year process of building from the ground up. As ROI-NJ reports, this kind of asset reuse delivers significant sustainability benefits. It reduces the carbon footprint associated with new construction while aligning with the principles of the circular economy — a hallmark of IPP’s business model.

The lease also benefits the local community in Little Falls. According to Hometown Source, the deal will bring new investment and operational activity back to the site, which had been idle for several years.

Read the full announcement at NJBIA.

“Leasing this advanced facility from IPP enables us to accelerate the commercialization of our sustainable chemical products,” said Enrico Steagall, CEO at Nuol Green Chemistry. “With this plant, we will be able to supply high-value biochemicals that support decarbonization and reduce reliance on petrochemicals by using our novel technologies, including our unique enzymes.”