Bio-Materials Manufacturing - Fermentation Processes

The Place with the Right Infrastructure and the Great People

Rochester, NY and Eastman Business Park could be the next new hotspot for bio-materials manufacturing, especially for processes that require fermentation.  In 2019, DuPont opened the world’s largest probiotics fermentation unit at Eastman Business Park.  The new facility takes advantage of the breadth of utilities originally installed by Eastman Kodak Company at the site. 

Right Infrastructure

Utilities include almost limitless fresh water, steam, chilled water and electricity produced at the site’s 117-MegaWatt tri-generation power plant and the onsite industrial waste water treatment plant.  In addition to the right utilities, Eastman Business Park boasts excellent transportation resources, 5 minutes from the interstate system and with 13 miles of rail stretching to every part of the sprawling Park.

Great People

Any biomaterials company seeking continuous innovation needs to employ the best chemists, opticians, engineers, and operators. Luckily, Rochester has those in spades.

The region, armed with top-level institutions such as the University of Rochester, Cornell University, Rochester Institute of Technology and Monroe Community College, has some of the best talent around. The area ranks first in the country for degrees in the Physical Sciences, and second in the country for those in the Biological Sciences on a per capita basis.

Eastman Business Park can offer an additional advantage: the Finger Lakes Forward Workforce Development Center dedicated to teaching workers the skills necessary to meet the needs of industrial manufacturers is a short bus ride away.

These are the main reasons why Eastman Business Park and the Rochester, NY area are optimal locations for bio-materials manufacturing:

Transportation infrastructure:

• 13 miles of rail track within the Park, plus two accumulation yards with capacity for delivery and storage of 100 railcars daily
• 5 minutes from interstate highway system

Market opportunity:

• Within 400 miles of an 86.6-million-people market, ~25% of U.S. and Canadian populations

Utility infrastructure:

• Electricity: 117-MW power plant plus 41 MW interconnection with RG&E
• Water: Permitted to up to 54 MGD from Lake Ontario, and with own industrial water treatment plant
• Natural gas: ~2,400 Dekatherms/hour, with ~1,100 – 1,200 Dekatherms/hour peak capacity
• Steam: 1.5M lbs./hour installed capacity, plus 200K lbs./ hour backup capacity. Different nominal pressure levels, from 260 psig. to down to 5 psig.
• Wastewater: 36 MGD wastewater treatment facility on-site with Title V / RCRA permitted multiple hearth incinerator

Real estate product:

• Several site and building options, ranging from ~1 to up to ~75 acres, and ~46K sq. ft. to up to ~1M sq. ft.

Workforce:

• ~550K labor pool in a 60-minute commute
• 2,135 workers in the Bio-materials industry, with high specialization

Operation cost location drivers:

• RED-Rochester LLC is owner and exclusive utility provider at the EBP, focused on optimizing costs and services

Related Resources

DuPont unveils world's largest probiotics fermentation unit

DuPont unveiled the unit at its facility on Lexington Avenue. The unit helps produce probiotics for the dietary supplement and food and beverage industries. Here is an exclusive six-part behind the scenes look at the new plant, what exactly happens and how it all works.

Fox Rochester - Read full article >

Spectrum Local News - Read full Article >