Borealis invests US$57M in Germany to expand next-generation PP production

GERMANY – Polyolefins producer Borealis has announced a €49m (US$57.4m) investment to scale up production of its Borstar Nextension polypropylene (PP) technology at its manufacturing site in Burghausen, Germany, strengthening supply of high-performance, circular-ready PP materials.

The investment will support the expansion of commercial production of next-generation single-site PP (ssPP) grades designed to combine multiple performance attributes within a single polymer.

Borstar Nextension technology enables material substitution in complex multilayer structures by integrating tailored mechanical, barrier and processing properties into one PP material, supporting downgauging, improved recyclability and overall performance.

Borealis said the expanded capacity will serve customers across a range of end-use sectors, including packaging, healthcare, mobility and fibres, as demand grows for materials that balance performance with regulatory compliance and sustainability goals.

Craig Arnold, executive vice president for Polyolefins, Circular Economy Solutions and Base Chemicals at Borealis, said the scale-up reflects the company’s strategy to help customers navigate an evolving regulatory and market environment.

He added that increasing availability of innovative, recyclable polymer solutions remains central to Borealis’ long-term growth plans.

The investment aligns with Borealis’ focus on enabling design for circularity through high-performance monomaterial PP solutions.

In packaging applications, Borstar Nextension PP is intended to help brand owners and converters replace multi-material structures with recyclable mono-PP formats, supporting compliance with the EU’s forthcoming Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).

The regulation includes targets for all packaging placed on the EU market to be recyclable by 2030.

Borealis has been accelerating its circular economy portfolio through both material innovation and recycling initiatives.

Last month, the company, together with Borouge, launched Recleo, a new brand for mechanically recycled polyolefins.

The portfolio combines post-industrial and post-consumer recyclates and compounds tailored for polyolefin-based applications.

In parallel, Borealis is investing in advanced recycling technologies. The company recently partnered with Project Electro to develop electrified thermochemical processes aimed at converting mixed and hard-to-recycle plastic waste, including multilayer packaging and contaminated plastics, into high-purity olefins such as ethylene and propylene.

According to Borealis, the Burghausen expansion reinforces its commitment to supporting customers’ sustainability transitions while maintaining high standards of material performance, processability and product safety across multiple industries.

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