BlueAlp, LBC secure US$1.56M EU grant for Rotterdam chemical recycling FEED study

NETHERLANDS – BlueAlp and LBC Tank Terminals have secured a €1.5 million (US$1.56 million) grant from the European Union’s Just Transition Fund to advance the Front-End Engineering Design phase of their large-scale chemical recycling plant in the Rotterdam region.

The grant, channeled through the JTF Rijnmond programme, will fund a FEED study covering technical feasibility, detailed engineering, logistics, site implementation, terminal integration, permitting and financing. 

As Europe’s largest tank storage operator for pyrolysis oil, LBC provides direct access to critical infrastructure within the Port of Rotterdam. 

By co-locating BlueAlp’s chemical recycling plant at LBC’s established terminal site, the partnership expects to unlock synergies including heat integration and transport optimization, reducing CO2 emissions while strengthening project economics.

How FEED Phase Advances Industrial-Scale Chemical Recycling Infrastructure

BlueAlp’s patented pyrolysis technology converts post-consumer mixed plastic waste into pyrolysis oil through a continuous process, achieving Technology Readiness Level 9 maturity. 

The technology is already being deployed at BioBTX’s Delfzijl plant with an intake capacity of approximately 20 kilotons per year of mixed plastic waste. 

BlueAlp CEO Valentijn de Neve said that the company was developing a highly competitive project representing a step change in both economics and environmental footprint, driven by integration benefits. 

He added that the support from the Just Transition Fund Rijnmond enabled the project to advance in response to Europe’s growing regulatory demand.

Why Rotterdam Terminal Integration Strengthens Circular Economy Value Chains

The €1.5 million (US$1.56 million) grant follows Dutch Government funding awarded earlier this year to BlueAlp, Renewi, Shell and Utrecht University for Project CLEAN, a four-year research project developing chemical recycling solutions for flexible plastics. 

That project received €1.5 million (US$1.56 million) in funding from the Netherlands Enterprise Agency. Radboud Godron, Group Business Development Director New Energies of LBC Tank Terminals, said that the collaboration reflected LBC’s commitment to enabling circular solutions by leveraging existing infrastructure and capabilities. 

He added that by integrating BlueAlp’s chemical recycling technology within the Rotterdam terminal site, the companies were taking a concrete step toward scaling sustainable value chains and contributing to Europe’s transition toward a low-carbon and circular economy.

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