Check-in on the Checkoff February Column

By Iowa Corn Promotion Board President Larry Buss 

Research is a pillar of the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) that we pride ourselves in, because without it we wouldn't have the opportunity to discover new uses for corn and continue growing our industry. And with a world focused on sustainability and manufacturing processes moving towards the incorporation of “green chemicals” in plastics and other products, this is the perfect time to insert corn into a new and innovative form like monoethylene glycol (MEG).

Corn-based MEG is a drop-in replacement for current fossil fuel-based MEG and a base chemical for products like antifreeze, pop and water bottles, and polyester clothing. With over 70 billion pounds of MEG being used in the world every year and with the yearly growth in the market equal to nearly 100 million bushels of corn, this proved to be an exponentially great opportunity for more corn grind to benefit Iowa’s corn farmers.

Since 2013, ICPB has invested checkoff funds to develop the technology that produces this monoethylene glycol (MEG) made from corn and signed an Asset Purchase Agreement with Technip Energies in January of 2022. Under this agreement Technip Energies acquires ICPB’s patents, technology, and rights for the process to produce MEG from corn. With the purchase, Technip Energies will advance the technology development, construct and operate a pilot plant to commercialize the technology and make it available for licensing.

Research like this isn’t something we are all capable of individually as growers and takes many years to perfect, but by investing in the Iowa Corn checkoff our collect resources help fund these advancements and gain a better ROI to increase corn grind. For more information visit iowacorn.org.

Thank you,

Larry Buss