UK oil giant BP (London; www.bp.com) is examining the possibility of building a German plant to chemically recycle plastics at its site in Gelsenkirchen.

Together with a partner, the company could make pyrolysis oil for the production of propylene and ethylene at the refinery, BP’s German subsidiary said. An extension area available northeast of the facility is said to be suitable for the construction of such a plant. To this end, however, a development plan still has to be adjusted, and discussions with the city of Gelsenkirchen are already taking place.

According to Plasteurope.com’s Polyglobe database (www.polyglobe.net), BP’s capacity in Gelsenkirchen includes more than 1m t/y for ethylene and 300,000 t for propylene.

“With this project, we are pursuing the goal we have set ourselves to become climate-neutral by 2050 at the latest and to reduce the CO₂ intensity of our products,” refinery manager José Luis García Galera said. In addition, plant construction would be a commitment to the Gelsenkirchen location, which employs around 2,000 people.