GERMANY – LyondellBasell has unveiled plans to construct an integrated plastic waste sorting facility in Knapsack, Germany, marking a significant step forward in the company’s commitment to sustainable practices.
Situated south of an existing industrial park, the facility will occupy a sizable area. LyondellBasell has secured a land lease agreement with Yncoris GmbH for its development.
The envisioned hub will serve as a convergence point for various sorting and recycling operations, with a primary focus on processing mixed plastic waste that currently goes unrecycled mainly and is often incinerated for energy recovery.
This initiative aligns with LyondellBasell’s broader strategy to bolster mechanical and chemical recycling efforts. The sorted feedstock will benefit its existing facilities in Geleen, the Netherlands, and Wesseling, Germany.
The project’s first phase will see the construction of a sorting facility, set to commence operations in the first quarter of 2026.
Yvonne van der Laan, LyondellBasell’s Executive Vice President for Circular and Low-Carbon Solutions, emphasized the strategic importance of Knapsack’s proximity to the company’s Wesseling facilities, which facilitate the development of cutting-edge recycling technologies and the scaling up of operations.
She highlighted the integrated nature of the hub, enabling LyondellBasell to offer customers a diverse range of products sourced from recycled and renewable resources.
Notably, LyondellBasell’s chemical recycling plant in Wesseling will become the company’s inaugural industrial-scale demonstration facility.
This facility, powered entirely by electricity, will leverage the company’s proprietary MoReTec technology to produce pyrolysis oil and gas, with a unique emphasis on gas recovery to maximize process yield and minimize direct CO2 emissions.
Additionally, proprietary catalyst technology promises further energy efficiency gains, enabling the plant to operate sustainably on renewable electricity.
LyondellBasell’s endeavors in Germany underscore its unwavering commitment to advancing circular economy principles and reducing environmental impact through innovation and strategic investment in sustainable technologies.
Meanwhile, last November, the company announced plans to construct its maiden industrial-scale catalytic advanced recycling demonstration plant at its Wesseling site.
This innovative facility, employing LyondellBasell’s MoReTec technology, marks a pioneering leap by establishing the inaugural commercial-scale, single-train advanced recycling plant.
Its purpose is to convert post-consumer plastic waste into feedstock for generating new plastic materials while operating at net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
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