LyondellBasell to build industrial-scale advanced recycling plant in Germany
Canadian Plastics
Materials Recycling SustainabilityThe plant is designed to recycle the amount of plastic packaging waste generated by over 1.2 million German citizens per year.
Dutch chemical company LyondellBasell Industries has made the final investment decision to build the company’s first industrial-scale catalytic advanced recycling demonstration plant at its Wesseling, Germany, site.
In a Nov. 20 news release, officials with the firm said the plant will use LyondellBasell’s proprietary MoReTec technology to make it the first commercial scale, single-train advanced recycling plant to convert post-consumer plastic waste into feedstock for production of new plastic materials that can be ran at net zero GHG emissions. The MoRe Tec technology produces pyrolysis oil and pyrolysis gas, which are substitutes for fossil-based materials used in polymer production. Typically, the release said, pyrolysis gas streams are consumed as a fuel; but the MoRe Tec technology enables the pyrolysis gas to be recovered as well, contributing to the production of polymer and displacing fossil-based feedstocks, which lowers direct CO2 emissions.
The new plant is expected to have an annual capacity of 50,000 tonnes per year and is designed to recycle the amount of plastic packaging waste generated by over 1.2 million German citizens annually.
Construction is planned to be completed by the end of 2025.
“We are committed to addressing the global challenge of plastic waste and advancing a circular economy, and today’s announcement is another meaningful step in that direction,” said LyondellBasell CEO Peter Vanacker. “Scaling up our catalytic advanced recycling technology will allow us to return larger volumes of plastic waste back into the value chain. By doing this, we will have the ability to produce more materials for high-quality applications, retaining value of plastics for as long as possible.”
Source One Plastics, a joint venture of LyondellBasell and 23 Oaks Investments formed in October 2022, will supply the majority of the sorted processed feedstock. The recycled material will then be used for the production of polymers sold by LyondellBasell under the CirculenRevive product line for use in a wide range of applications, including medical and food packaging.
