Plastic Energy joins ExxonMobil on advanced recycling project in France: “Upscaling should lower price”

25 Mar 2021 --- Chemical recycling company Plastic Energy is collaborating with ExxonMobil to convert post-consumer plastic waste in France into raw materials for the manufacturing of virgin-quality polymers.

The project is expected to create one of the largest advanced recycling plants in Europe. It will prevent post-use plastic being set to landfills or incineration, with an initial capacity of 25,000 metric tons of plastic waste per year.

“Chemical recycling is still a new technology with very large demand for its product and very limited capacity. Upscale and more generally, increased capacity, should help to drive down the price [of recycled material],” Cloé Ragot, head of policy and sustainability at Plastic Energy, tells PackagingInsights.

Plastic Energy and ExxonMobil have been developing plans since 2018. A final investment decision is expected in mid-2021 with startup anticipated in 2023. In the near future, there are plans to scale up the plant capacity to 33,000 metric tons annually.

The project has received financial support from the French government as part of its Plan de Relance and Regional Planning Grant Scheme.

How does it work?
The plant construction will be adjacent to ExxonMobil’s existing Notre Dame de Gravenchon’s complex.

Based on current plans, the project is expected to be one of the largest advanced recycling plants in Europe.“Therefore, our Tacoil made from plastic waste will be easily transferred to ExxonMobil, where they will use it to create virgin-quality polymers that can be incorporated into packaging and other high-value products,” Ragot explains.

In a previous interview with PackagingInsights, Ragot outlined the technology process: “During the TAC process, plastic waste is heated with the absence of oxygen until it melts and the polymer molecules break down to form a rich, saturated hydrocarbon vapor.”

As a result of this TAC process, the condensable gases are converted to hydrocarbon products creating an optimal recycled oil. Called Tacoil, the recycled oil is then sold to the chemical industry to replace fossil oil in virgin-quality plastics.

Motivating factors
The post-use landscape is no more dire in France than elsewhere in Europe, says Ragot. “However, there is a clear need everywhere to find solutions to recycle more plastic.”

She highlights France has been open to new recycling technologies and broader plastic packaging collection, which is starting to facilitate the construction of more advanced recycling infrastructure.

“EU legislations through the waste hierarchy, ambitious recycling rates and the Circular Economy Action Plan, have created incentive mechanisms to boost the demand for recycled plastics.”

“This has worked in conjunction with private company pledges and sustainability commitments on design for recycling and incorporation of recycled content into products,” she details.

The UK has followed a similar path through the UK Plastic Pact and the Plastic Tax. Ragot expects more sorting and recycling infrastructure will be needed to compliment these initiatives.

Plastic Energy has multiple chemical recycling plants across Europe, including this one in Almeria, Spain.“Plastic Energy is aiming to help meet this demand by expanding our operations in France and in other countries in Europe.”

Previous moves
Constructing the new advanced recycling plant adds to Plastic Energy’s growing portfolio of recycling units.

Collaborating with SABIC, Plastic Energy began constructing an advanced recycling unit in Geleen, the Netherlands, expected to become operational in the second half of 2022.

Nestlé UK and Ireland also joined forces with Plastic Energy to develop the UK’s first large-scale, commercial chemical recycling facility. The chemical recycling giant also already has two similar recycling plants in Spain.

Also, Sealed Air made an equity investment of US$2.5 million in Plastic Energy Global, the parent company of Plastic Energy, last August.

By Anni Schleicher

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