Fully electrified chemical recycling of plastic waste for deep decarbonisation of the polymer industry

Introduction

With its proprietary MoReTec advanced recycling technology, LyondellBasell (LYB) aims to return post-consumer plastic waste to its molecular form. This will be used as a feedstock for new plastic materials that offer expanded applications, including medical and food packaging.

Project Overview

LYB plans to build a MoReTec advanced recycling technology demonstration plant (MoReTec-1) in Wesseling, Germany. This represents the next step towards addressing the challenge of hard-to-recycle plastics at scale.

This project is expected to provide LYB with the valuable operating experience and additional technological know-how that is needed to scale up and fully commercialize the MoReTec technology. The plant will be designed to produce:

• 40 kilotonnes/year (kt/yr) of pyrolysis oil
• 7 kt/yr of pyrolysis gas

This will achieve a relative greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction of 100% compared to the reference scenario.

Recycling Challenges

Plastic waste is one of the most complex material mixtures from a recycling perspective. Recycling reduces incineration, landfill, and the associated carbon emissions.

Chemical or advanced recycling – the core of the MoReTec technology – will contribute towards a circular, climate-neutral economy. The project converts plastic waste into pyrolysis oil and gas. The pyrolysis oil can be used in LYB crackers, replacing naphtha from fossil crude oil as feedstock for new plastic materials such as polyethylene and polypropylene.

Technological Innovation

The project will demonstrate a first-of-its-kind, breakthrough technology which includes a continuous process and advanced catalysts heat integration.

This combination of technology will lead to:

1. High energy efficiencies
2. High yields
3. Increased scalability potential
4. Optimized capacities

The required heat inputs will also be supplied using 100% renewable electricity. The aim is to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of the technology for implementation at a large-scale plant capacity of up to 200 kt/yr as envisaged for future assets.

MoReTec-1 is expected to achieve an absolute GHG emissions reduction of 823,484 CO2 equivalent over its first ten years of operation.

Circular Solutions

Most plastics are still produced from fossil-based feedstock. Especially for challenging segments like food packaging and healthcare products, no circular solutions at industrial scale exist worldwide.

MoReTec technology is intended to provide circularity solutions. It will contribute to interrelated EU policy objectives such as:

• The Integrated Strategic Energy Technology Plan
• The New Industrial Strategy for Europe
• The recovery plan for Europe
• The new Circular Economy Action Plan