INEOS
Chemical recycling from late 2023 / Pact with Plastic Energy to use “Tacoil” feedstock
The list of plastics companies launching chemical recycling projects – most of them in cooperation with energy or waste specialists – continues to grow. The latest initiative links Ineos (London / UK; www.ineos.com) with Plastic Energy (London; www.plasticenergy.com).
With its patented thermal anaerobic conversion (TAC) technology and feedstock known as “Tacoil”, Plastic Energy is making a name for itself in the field. In its proprietary process, mixed plastics waste is melted in an oxygen-free environment and subsequently broken down into synthetic oils that can be refined and upgraded as starting materials for traditional petrochemical applications.
With its patented thermal anaerobic conversion (TAC) technology and feedstock known as “Tacoil”, Plastic Energy is making a name for itself in the field. In its proprietary process, mixed plastics waste is melted in an oxygen-free environment and subsequently broken down into synthetic oils that can be refined and upgraded as starting materials for traditional petrochemical applications.
 “Tacoil” could be used by Ineos’ sites to produce polymers (Photo: Plastic Energy) |
Ineos said the chemical recycling plant will start up at the end of 2023. Though a location has not been announced, it is likely to be close to one of the group’s crackers. In trials carried out at Cologne / Germany, Ineos said the new input material has already been successfully converted into virgin polymer. This will be used by selected customers and brands to demonstrate the benefits of the process.
In future, the chemical producer will use all the output from the recycling facility, which according to reports will be able to handle 30,000 t/y of mixed waste, including multilayer LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE, polypropylene and a smaller amount of polystyrene. The polymer that emerges from the process will be suitable for manufacturing medical products, food packaging, lightweight automotive parts and pipes for water transportation.
Plastic Energy’s first European commercial facility to refine and upgrade Tacoil for use by a major chemical producer is scheduled to go onstream at Geleen / The Netherlands in 2021. As part of a cooperation agreement announced in late 2018, Saudi Arabian petrochemicals giant Sabic (Riyadh; www.sabic.com) will use it as a feedstock for its “Trucircle” polyethylene and polypropylene production at the site (see Plasteurope.com of 14.02.2020).
Plastic Energy is already a partner in a number of European circular economy initiatives, including the 60-company “UK Plastics Pact” set up in conjunction with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (Cowes / UK; www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org).
In future, the chemical producer will use all the output from the recycling facility, which according to reports will be able to handle 30,000 t/y of mixed waste, including multilayer LDPE, LLDPE, HDPE, polypropylene and a smaller amount of polystyrene. The polymer that emerges from the process will be suitable for manufacturing medical products, food packaging, lightweight automotive parts and pipes for water transportation.
Plastic Energy’s first European commercial facility to refine and upgrade Tacoil for use by a major chemical producer is scheduled to go onstream at Geleen / The Netherlands in 2021. As part of a cooperation agreement announced in late 2018, Saudi Arabian petrochemicals giant Sabic (Riyadh; www.sabic.com) will use it as a feedstock for its “Trucircle” polyethylene and polypropylene production at the site (see Plasteurope.com of 14.02.2020).
Plastic Energy is already a partner in a number of European circular economy initiatives, including the 60-company “UK Plastics Pact” set up in conjunction with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (Cowes / UK; www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org).
29.04.2020 Plasteurope.com 1050 [245014-0]
Published on 29.04.2020
German version of this article...