Technip Energies, Alterra, and Neste have agreed to advance plastics circularity by providing the industry with a standardized technology solution for chemical (or advanced) recycling. Their solution includes pre-designed and engineered liquefaction plant modules, which will enable lower initial investment costs, faster implementation times, high predictability of project economics, and reduced overall capital costs, according to the companies’ press release.
The solution is based on Alterra’s scalable, patented liquefaction technology, a thermochemical process that converts hard-to-recycle plastics into a liquid hydrocarbon product. This liquid intermediate resembles crude oil and can be further refined by Neste into high-quality raw materials for the manufacturing of new plastics and other chemicals.
To date, Neste has processed over 6,000 tons of plastic-derived feedstocks from Alterra’s industrial-scale site in Akron, OH, USA. Alterra primarily uses post-consumer mixed plastic as raw material, partnering with waste management companies for collection and sorting. To prepare the feedstock, the plastic is shredded, dried, and densified before entering the processing system. The company says it uses plastic waste that is not suitable for mechanical recycling.
Alterra and Neste will license the liquefaction technology, while Technip Energies will design, engineer, and deliver the standardized liquefaction plant solution to interested parties worldwide.
- Alterra, Akron, OH, USA
- Neste Oyj, Espoo, Finland
- Technip Energies NV, Nanterre, France
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