BELGIUM – US-based chemical company PureCycle Technologies and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges have selected NextGen District in Belgium as the location for PureCycle’s first polypropylene (PP) recycling facility in Europe.
The new plant is expected to have an annual capacity of 59,000 metric tons (130 million pounds) with opportunities to expand operations in the future.
The company says that the 14-hectare plot can install up to four processing lines with an anticipated total capacity of approximately 240,000 metric tons (500 million pounds) per year.
PureCycle is currently engaged in feedstock sourcing and financial planning with the intent to secure a final project timeline by mid-2023.
Construction of the plant is expected to begin upon completion of the permitting process, which is anticipated in 2024.
PureCycle Vice President of European Operations, Wiebe Schipper, comments: “The announcement of our first location in Europe marks the next phase in executing PureCycle’s global growth strategy.
“We are excited to bring our Ultra-Pure Recycled (UPR) resin to customers in Europe, where companies and policies are at the forefront of the circular economy.
“Being in the NextGen District will enable us to capitalize on existing efficiencies, collaborate with other innovators in the space and forge new partnerships.”
According to the company, the new PP purification plant will supply PureCycle’s Ultra-Pure Recycled (UPR) resin to the European market.
The project is claimed to be one of the largest investments in the NextGen District and will create 65-70 jobs for local residents during the initial phase.
NextGen District is located at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, which is Europe’s second-largest seaport.
Port of Antwerp-Bruges CEO, Jacques Vandermeiren, said: “The Port of Antwerp-Bruges’ NextGen District is committed to creating an innovation hotspot where companies dedicated to building a circular economy and developing sustainable solutions to some of the world’s toughest climate and environmental challenges can thrive.
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with PureCycle on this strategic project to help bring that vision to life.”
PureCycle says it is expanding globally and actively scaling its production capabilities, with its flagship recycling facility in Ironton, Ohio, set to start pellet production in the first quarter of 2023.
The company’s second plant in Augusta, Georgia, is under initial construction; and its first PP recycling plant in Asia is on track to open in 2025.
For all the latest packaging and printing industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, like us on Facebook, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
