NextChem and Agilyx sign global chemical recycling deal

On the heels of its recent partnerships with Braskem and ExxonMobil, chemical recycling firm Agilyx Corp. has signed an agreement with NextChem – the green chemistry subsidiary of Italy-based Maire Tecnimont Group SpA – to support the development of advanced chemical recycling on a global basis.

According to a news release, the agreement between Agilyx, wholly owned by Agilyx AS (Oslo), and NextChem combines Agilyx’s pyrolysis technology with NextChem’s expertise in licensing, implementation, and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services for plastics recycling.

Previously, Agilyx struck a deal with Braskem in December 2020, and in February 2021 it established a joint venture with ExxonMobil.

Under the new agreement, NextChem will act as a technology and EPC partner for Agilyx. The aim of this partnership is to accelerate implementation of chemical recycling facilities globally using Agilyx’s advanced pyrolysis technology to convert mixed waste plastic into circular olefins and fuels. According to Agilyx, its proprietary chemical recycling process can turn post-use plastics back into their original chemical components for continued use, increasing recovery of plastics that can’t be recycled by traditional processes.

The scope of the partnership, in its first phase, is to develop a series of chemical recycling projects for third parties. The initial focus will be on two already identified projects, one in Europe and one in South America. The agreement also represents an opportunity for co-investments in specific projects in order to accelerate the overall commercial pipeline.

“We are proud to include this new partnership with Agilyx in our portfolio and further develop our basket of technological solutions for the circular economy, which already include upcycling, waste-to-chemicals, waste-to-fuel, polymerization, and now also thermo-chemical conversion (pyrolysis),” said Pierroberto Folgiero, CEO of Maire Tecnimont Group and NextChem. “We are strongly committed to finding solutions for plastics sustainability along its lifecycle and to enabling a new circular, low-carbon economy.”