Biosphere Wins $21 Million Pentagon Award for 20,000-Liter Chemical Plant
Biosphere won a $21 million Department of War award to build and run a 20,000-liter bioreactor for military chemicals. The release names no chemical and no committed munitions buyer.
The award pays for the plant, but Biosphere has not named the chemicals it will make or a munitions program committed to buy them.
A $21 million Pentagon contract will fund a 20,000-liter chemical bioreactor for Oakland startup Biosphere, the company announced Oct. 28. The Department of War award, made through the Defense Industrial Base Consortium, covers prototyping, commissioning and operation, according to the release. It also funds manufacturing demonstrations and the engineering and economic analyses for larger deployments.
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Biosphere win?
A $21 million Department of War contract, made through the Defense Industrial Base Consortium, to prototype, commission and operate a 20,000-liter industrial bioreactor, per Biosphere's Oct. 28 announcement.
What will the plant make?
Biosphere has not said. CEO Brian Heligman told Breaking Defense potential products range from bio-cement for helicopter landing surfaces to polymer-bonded explosives for weapons such as the Hellfire missile.
How big is the plant?
Heligman projected about 100 tons of chemicals a year, roughly ten times the 1,000-liter systems standard in military labs, in an interview with Breaking Defense.
Why does the Pentagon fund this?
Military chemicals such as energetics have little civilian demand and uneven Pentagon funding, which makes traditional chemical makers reluctant to build U.S. capacity, Breaking Defense reported.
When will it start operating?
Breaking Defense reported the plant is slated for commissioning in the fourth quarter of 2027. Biosphere's release gives no date.
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Marcus Schuler
Marcus Schuler edits BattlePolicy, a daily defense-technology brief connecting the companies and capabilities behind modern war to the contest among Europe, the US, Russia, and China.