LyondellBasell has reportedly completed installation of two pyrolysis reactors, key equipment for its MoReTec-1 chemical recycling plant under construction in Wesseling, Germany.
The plant is reportedly the company’s first commercial-scale facility based on its proprietary MoReTec process, converting hard-to-recycle mixed plastic waste into pyrolysis oil and gas for reuse as feedstock for new polymers.
Annual processing capacity is reportedly 50,000 tonnes, with a target recovery rate of over 80%. Investment is reportedly in the “hundreds of millions of euros” range, with the project having received EUR40 million in EU support along with EU Innovation Fund backing, it is reported.
The process reportedly uses a low-temperature catalytic method and can be powered by renewable electricity. The plant received construction and operating approval last year with startup targeted for 2026, it is reported.
This is viewed as a case illustrating the commercialization of chemical plastics recycling gaining momentum across Europe’s chemical industry.
The timing of actual commercial startup and whether the 80%-plus recovery rate target is achieved are worth watching.