Process technology and energy expert Lummus Technology and Citroniq Chemicals, a producer of carbon-negative materials, have finalised their commitment to establish bio-polypropylene production in the US. The two companies, who had signed a letter of intent for the projects in April, have now entered into licencing and engineering agreements to build four green polypropylene plants in North America based on the Verdene PP suite of four technologies developed by Lummus: ethanol to ethylene technology, dimer technology, olefins conversion technology and polypropylene technology. Lummus is the only technology provider able to supply all the proven, low-energy technologies to produce renewable green polypropylene from biogenic ethanol.
The agreement is a ‘testament of our commitment to bring sustainable plastics at world-class scale to the marketplace’, said Mel Badheka, president & co-founder of Citroniq Chemicals. Citroniq's E2O process produces carbon-negative plastics and olefins intermediates from 100% sustainable feedstocks, eliminating the use of conventional fossil fuel hydrocarbons and significantly reducing GHG emissions.
The first plant, scheduled for completion in 2027, will produce 400kta of bio-polypropylene and will be first in North America with this production capability.
"Combining Lummus' leadership in polypropylene licencing with Citroniq's carbon negative production capabilities will help us meet the growing demand for bio-polypropylene and accelerate the decarbonisation of the downstream energy industry,” said Romain Lemoine, chief business officer of Polymers and Petrochemicals, Lummus Technology.