Green Materials: Sabic/Plastic Energy to step up production of circular polymers; Ineos Styrolution to build demo polymerisation unit for r-nylon

In what is said to be a significant contribution towards the development of a circular economy for plastics, materials firm Sabic and recycler Plastic Energy are set to commence construction on the first commercial unit to produce its flagship certified circular polymers, part of Sabic’s Trucircle portfolio, which are made from the upcycling of mixed and used plastic.

The unit will be based in Geleen, the Netherlands, and is expected to become operational in the second half of 2022. The project will be realised under a 50-50 joint venture called Spear (Sabic Plastic Energy Advanced Recycling BV) and is being executed with a Top Sector Energy Subsidy from the Ministry of Economic Affairs in the Netherlands.

As part of the project’s market foundation stage, Sabic says it has worked together with Plastic Energy and leading customers and converters to produce and commercialise certified circular polymers since early 2019. The new unit will enable Sabic to significantly upscale the production of certified circular polymers to provide customers with greater access to sustainable materials which have been recycled, repurposed and produced in a way that can help protect our planet’s natural resources, whilst acting as a drop-in solution.

Sabic’s certified circular polymers are produced using Plastic Energy’s advanced recycling technology to convert low quality, mixed, and used plastic, otherwise destined for incineration or landfill, into Tacoil. The latter produced in the new commercial unit will be used by Sabic in its production process as an alternative to traditional fossil materials to create new circular polymers.

Launched in 2019, the Trucircle portfolio spans design for recyclability, mechanically recycled products, certified circular products from feedstock recycling of used plastic and certified renewables products from bio-based feedstock.

Meanwhile in other news, styrenics maker Ineos Styrolution plans to build a demonstration plant at its Antwerp, Belgium, site to test production of ABS plastic from recycled feedstock.

The plans for the new plant are part of the project “ABSolutely Circular”, which is supported by the EU LIFE programme. INEOS Styrolution’s plant is intended to complement a demonstration unit planned by project partner Indaver, making Antwerp the leading European centre for the recycling of styrenics.

Bart van der Zee, Technical R&D Project Lead at Ineos Styrolution comments: “Together with our project partners we share the vision to turn plastic waste into valuable resources. I am proud to be part of this project and I invite technology providers to join us on our mission. We are in fact still open for new partners to start working with us on the demonstration plant project in Antwerp.”

(PRA)

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