LyondellBasell (LYB) has received the first partial permit to build its chemical recycling pyrolysis plant in Wesseling, Germany.

According to a Aug. 19 update on the German Federal Environmental Assessment Portal (UVP), the company has been granted a permit to begin groundwork and foundation work.

LYB laid the foundation stone for the 50,000 tonnes/year pyrolysis plant in September 2024. Construction is planned to be completed by the end of 2025 with start-up expected in 2026.

The US-based company is investing a three-digit million euro sum in the Wesseling project, which has €40 million in funds from the EU Innovation Fund.

LYB says the new plant will be the first commercial scale, single-train advanced recycling plant to convert post-consumer plastic waste into feedstock for production of new plastic materials that can be ran at net zero greenhouse gas emissions.

It will use the company’s proprietary MoReTec technology which produces pyrolysis oil and pyrolysis gas. Unlike most pyrolysis processes, MoReTec technology enables the pyrolysis gas to be recovered rather than consumed as fuel, increasing the yield of the pyrolysis process and displacing fossil-based feedstocks, which lowers direct CO2 emissions.

In addition, LYB’s proprietary catalyst technology lowers the process temperature and reduces energy.  With lower energy consumption, the process can be powered by electricity, including electricity from renewable sources.

The Wesseling project milestone comes as the European Union is closer than ever to recognise chemical recycling technologies in recycled content allocations.

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Source: Sustainable Plastics