# Pentagon awards Biosphere $21 million for chemical plant, Breaking Defense reports Breaking Defense reports the facility is slated for commissioning in late 2027; Biosphere’s CEO projects about 100 tons of chemicals a year. Published 2026-10-28 by TGOs. Canonical: https://tgos.io/news/2026/10/28/pentagon-awards-biosphere-21-million-for-chemical-plant-breaking/ The Department of War has awarded Biosphere $21 million to build a facility using genetically engineered microbes to produce chemicals for military supplies, Breaking Defense reported Oct. 28.[1] Breaking Defense did not report the awarding office, the contract type or whether the $21 million is a ceiling or an obligation.[1] Biosphere CEO Brian Heligman argued that the new mid-sized plant can make sufficient quantities for munitions and other military programs without the overhead of a traditional bulk-manufacturing facility.[1] He projected output of about 100 tons a year, small compared with an industrial petrochemical plant producing bulk plastics.[1] The California company plans a 20,000-liter facility.[1] It is slated for commissioning in the fourth quarter of 2027.[1] Heligman identified potential products ranging from bio-cement for helicopter landing surfaces to polymer-bonded explosives for weapons such as the Hellfire missile.[1] He declined to disclose specific products, saying the company had held detailed discussions about two or three fine chemicals.[1] The award follows another Pentagon award to Biosphere less than six months earlier, worth up to $9 million if all options are exercised.[1] That award was to develop a portable, electrically powered bio-brewery capable of making protein from water and air.[1] ## Why it matters Breaking Defense reported that bespoke military chemicals such as advanced energetics have little civilian demand.[1] Heligman told the outlet Biosphere intends to use the plant as a demonstration asset to show that its claimed cost advantage translates to much larger facilities.[1] ## Sources 1. Breaking Defense: Startup Biosphere wins Pentagon contract to scale up production of key chemicals (Oct. 28, 2026)