Green news: Rohm awards feasibility study for PMMA recycling plant to Nextchem; Borealis takes 10% share in BlueAlp, sells stake in Renasci

Italy’s Maire has announced that Nextchem, through its subsidiary MyRemono, has been awarded a site-specific feasibility study by MMA supplier Röhm for a plant to chemically recycle polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) scraps at Röhm’s production site in Worms, South-Western Germany.

The undertaking aligns with Röhm’s target to completely eliminate incineration and landfill of PMMA-related production waste through recycling by 2030.

This initiative leverages Nextchem's proprietary NXRe technology, an advanced molten metal depolymerisation process for the continuous chemical recycling of PMMA. The modular technology enables the continuous depolymerisation of PMMA scraps – sourced from both pre- and post-consumer streams – into ultra-pure recycled methyl methacrylate (r-MMA) with virgin-like quality.

The plant is designed for a capacity of 5,000 tonnes/year, fully integrated into Röhm’s existing PMMA production infrastructure.

The recycled MMA produced via NXRe technology is expected to reduce the carbon footprint by over 90% compared to current virgin MMA production methods. This significant reduction is driven by a circular approach where the use of PMMA scraps as feedstock, the firm adds.

This award marks another milestone in establishing the foundation for licensing NXRe PMMA technology, while the construction of the first industrial-scale plant in Italy is currently under development and expected to be completed in 2026, it adds.

Fabio Fritelli, Managing Director of NEXTCHEM, commented: “Our NXRe PMMA technology is a cornerstone of our strategy for sustainable materials. This feasibility study with Röhm, a leading manufacturer of PMMA, marks a key step toward industrialising advanced recycling solutions.”

In other news, polymers firm Borealis has transferred its majority share in Renasci, a chemical recycling company based in Ostend, Belgium, to Dutch chemical recycler BlueAlp, while acquiring a 10% share in BlueAlp to support its future growth and scale-up.

Renasci licensed BlueAlp’s technology to create a 20 kilotonnes/year scale-up plant in Belgium, which BlueAlp engineered, constructed, and has supported throughout its operation in recent years.

Moving from supporting operations to directly operating the asset is a logical next step in BlueAlp’s growth. This will accelerate technology innovation, establish a robust platform for producing high-quality circular feedstock, and further strengthen BlueAlp’s licensing proposition.

Since entering into Renasci, Vienna-based Borealis says has led the development to become one of the few operating chemical recycling plants in Europe.

Following the agreement, BlueAlp will lead the next phase of development and further advancement of Renasci, while Borealis continues to develop customer solutions based on chemically-recycled feedstock.

This collaboration helps Borealis and BlueAlp’s customers and partners across the value chain to prepare for the EU’s upcoming Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) in 2030, which is expected to increase demand for recycled materials suitable for contact-sensitive applications like food and cosmetics packaging, such as those based on chemically recycled feedstock.

The financial details of the transaction are not being disclosed.

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