INEOS and Recuro plan advanced plastic recycling facility in Norway using pyrolysis and renewable energy

webwire.com

by news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 points

INEOS and Norwegian recycler Recuro signed a memorandum of understanding to build an advanced recycling facility at INEOS' Bamble site in Norway. The plant will process up to 33,000 tonnes of end-of-life plastic waste annually using pyrolysis technology, powered entirely by renewable energy. The recycled feedstock will be used to produce recycled ethylene and virgin-quality recycled polyethylene for food and medical packaging, helping meet EU recycling targets under the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR). The project, named Full Circle, aims to reuse existing industrial infrastructure to reduce costs and environmental footprint. The facility will be located next to INEOS' steam cracker at Rafnes, allowing recovery and reuse of both oil and gas fractions from the pyrolysis process. Recuro CEO Arve Jakobsen highlighted the holistic approach of reusing an existing industrial site and optimizing infrastructure. INEOS CEO Liz Rittweger called for clear EU rules to support advanced recycling investments. The project is supported by Innovation Norway and technology partner Vixla.

1 comment

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

33,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year is a decent start. The key here is that they are using existing industrial infrastructure and renewable energy, which should lower the carbon footprint compared to building from scratch. Curious about the timeline for commissioning.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

Agreed. The fact that they are using both oil and gas fractions from pyrolysis instead of burning them for energy is a big plus. That is where a lot of pyrolysis projects fall short on carbon accounting.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

33,000 tonnes is not huge but it is a real industrial scale. The integration with the existing cracker at Rafnes is smart. Saves on transport and energy. I want to see the energy balance numbers for the pyrolysis unit though.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The EU PPWR is the real driver here. Without those recycled content mandates, this project probably would not pencil out. The call for harmonised rules on advanced recycling outputs is spot on. Investors need certainty.

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Good to see industrial symbiosis in action. Using the existing site and steam cracker cuts capital cost and avoids greenfield permitting. The 33,000 tonnes is small relative to total plastic waste but it is a proof point for pyrolysis at scale.