LyondellBasell Makes Decision to Progress Advanced Recycling Plant in Wesseling , Germany
LyondellBasell has announced it has made a decision to move forward with engineering to build an advanced recycling plant at its Wesseling , Germany , site . Using LyondellBasell ’ s proprietary MoReTec technology , this commercial scale advanced recycling plant would convert pre-treated plastic waste into feedstock for new plastic production . The final investment decision is targeted for the end of 2023 .
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The previously announced German Joint Venture Source One Plastics will provide plastic waste feedstock to the plant . Source One Plastics is planning to build a facility designed to recycle the amount of plastic packaging waste generated by approximately 1.3 million German citizens per year . This plastic waste will consist of materials such as multi-layered food packaging items or mixed plastic containers that are typically not recycled today .
“ We are actively working to move the circular economy forward . Progressing our MoReTec technology represents another step LyondellBasell is making to accelerate the development and implementation of scalable sustainable and circular technology ,” said Yvonne van der Laan , LyondellBasell Executive Vice President , Circular and Low Carbon Solutions . “ This high yield , differential technology will allow us to convert plastic waste into pyrolysis oil and pyrolysis gas for use in our crackers as feedstock leading to the production of new plastic materials . Solid process residues can be re-used or consumed in other applications , making this technology an energy efficient , zero waste process for the recycling of plastic waste ”.
The start-up of the MoReTec advanced recycling plant is planned for end of 2025 with a capacity of 50,000 tonnes per year . The feedstock produced will be converted at the LyondellBasell Wesseling site into new CirculenRevive polymers for use in applications such
We are actively working to move the circular economy forward . Progressing our MoReTec technology represents another step LyondellBasell is making to accelerate the development and implementation of scalable sustainable and circular technology .
as food packaging and healthcare products .
MoReTec - A story of innovation
In 2018 , LyondellBasell began conducting base research in the chemical recycling of plastic waste together with the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology ( KIT ) in Germany , which proved the efficiency of the MoReTec technology at laboratory scale . In October 2019 , the company announced the construction of a chemical recycling pilot plant at its Ferrara , Italy , site , which begun operation in August 2020 . With the operation of the pilot plant , research work improved the efficiency of the recycling process , identified a commercial catalyst and made further progress in the characterization of the waste feedstock stream . The MoReTec plant capability was further expanded converting the pilot plant to a small scale industrial facility in 2021 .
Today , the MoReTec technology allows for the recycling of most types of plastic materials such as multi-layered food packaging items or mixed plastic containers . Polyolefin-based plastic waste is decomposed in a proprietary reactor unit , resulting in high-quality feedstock usable for the production of new plastic materials at the LyondellBasell polymer plants .
For more information , please visit www . lyondellbasell . com or follow @ LyondellBasell on LinkedIn .