Dutch chemical company BioBTX has announced a Final Investment Decision (FID) for its PETRA commercial plant, which will convert plastic waste directly into renewable aromatics. The investment exceeds 80 million euros, with commissioning targeted for mid-2028, according to reports.
BioBTX has made a final decision to build the PETRA plant at Chemie Park in Delfzijl, Netherlands. The plant is reported to be the first commercial-scale application of BioBTX’s in-house Integrated Catalytic Cracking Process (ICCP) technology, which converts plastic waste into benzene, toluene and xylene (BTX) through thermal cracking followed by catalytic upgrading. For the first-stage pyrolysis process, technology partner BlueAlp is providing the license, with pyrolysis modules manufactured in Eindhoven to be transported to the Delfzijl site starting in December 2026 for integration, it is reported. The pyrolysis unit is reported to have a processing capacity of 20,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year.
BioBTX co-founder and CEO Ton Vries reportedly described the plant as “the world’s first fully sustainable aromatics plant.” Aromatics are basic chemical building blocks used in pharmaceuticals, coatings, plastics and high-performance materials, and the plant is reported to be designed to process mixed and contaminated plastic waste streams as well.
A key focus for the PETRA plant is completing commercial-scale validation of the ICCP technology through successful operation, it is reported. Building on the success of this plant, BioBTX reportedly plans to extend the technology to other feedstocks such as biomass and roll it out globally in collaboration with partners.