Page 169 - CW E-Magazine (5-12-2023)

News from Abroad

CIRCULAR ECONOMY
LyondellBasell makes final investment decision

on advanced plastic recycling plant in Germany

Chemicals giant, LyondellBasell, this, we will have the ability to produce materials used in polymer production.
has made the final investment decision more materials for high-quality appli- Typically, pyrolysis gas streams are
to build the company’s first industrial- cations, retaining value of plastics for consumed as fuel, however, the tech-
scale catalytic advanced recycling as long as possible,” said Mr. Peter nology enables the pyrolysis gas to be
demonstration plant at its Wesseling, Vanacker, LyondellBasell’s CEO. recovered as well, contributing to the
Germany, site. production of polymers and displacing
The demonstration plant will close fossil-based feedstocks, which lowers
Using LyondellBasell’s MoReTec the gap for difficult to recycle plastics, direct CO emissions. In addition, the
2
technology, the plant will be the such as mixed or flexible materials that proprietary catalyst technology lowers
first commercial scale, single-train are currently sent to landfill or incine- the process temperature, reduces energy
advanced recycling plant to convert ration. Source One Plastics, a joint consumption and improves yield.
post-consumer plastic waste into feed- venture of LyondellBasell and 23 Oaks With lower energy consumption, the
stock for production of new plastic mate- Investments, formed in October 2022, process can be powered by electricity,
rials that can be ran at net zero GHG will supply the majority of the sorted including electricity from renewable
emissions, the company said. The new processed feedstock. The advanced re- sources at net zero GHG emissions.
plant is expected to have a capacity cycled feedstock produced by the faci-
of 50-ktpa and is designed to recycle lity will be used for the production of “These differentiating advantages
the amount of plastic packaging waste polymers sold by LyondellBasell under provide a carbon footprint advantage
generated by over 1.2-mn Germans the CirculenRevive product line for use as well. The recovery of pyrolysis gas
per year. Construction is planned to be in a range of applications, including as feedstock, lower energy demand,
completed by the end of 2025. medical and food packaging. electrical heating design, displacement
of fossil-feedstocks, and recovery of
“Scaling up our catalytic advanced Technology advantage waste plastic from incineration or land-
recycling technology will allow us to The MoReTec technology produces fill result in a significantly lower carbon
return larger volumes of plastic waste pyrolysis oil and pyrolysis gas. Pyro- footprint compared with fossil-based
back into the value chain. By doing lysis oil is a substitute for fossil-based processes,” the company said.

COLLABORATION
Rio Tinto partners with Aymium to trial renewable

biocarbon product

Rio Tinto, the metals & mining well as iron and steel for specialised working together on options for large-
multinational, and US-based Aymium applications. Aymium’s bioproducts are scale production of a biocarbon pro-
have partnered to develop and trial a produced using sustainably sourced bio- duct. “We are investing to deepen our
renewable biocarbon product for use as mass – recovered and unusable wood. partnership, as part our commitment to
an alternative resource to reduce emis- finding better ways to decarbonise our
sions in large scale industrial processes. In a strengthening of the partner- operations and the supply chains we
ship, Rio Tinto has made a further are part of,” Rio Tinto Minerals Chief
The product has been successfully equity investment in Aymium following Executive, Mr. Sinead Kaufman said.
trialled as a replacement for anthracite its participation in a funding round in Funds from this investment will be
used in ilmenite smelting at Rio Tinto’s 2022. The second investment is part of directed towards advancing the construc-
metallurgical complex in Sorel-Tracy Rio Tinto’s support for innovations tion of Aymium’s new production faci-
(Canada), a leading producer of high- needed to meet its 2030 emission reduc- lities in North America and supporting
grade titanium dioxide feedstock, as tion targets. The partners will now be their R&D initiatives.

Chemical Weekly December 5, 2023 169

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