Egypt’s first chemical recycling plant looks set to be powered by Honeywell’s UpCycle technology. A Memorandum of Understanding signed during the COP27 conference in Sharm El-Sheikh by Egypt’s Environ Adapt, part of the Egyptian business conglomerate Intro Group, and Honeywell will see the two partners exploring the potential for such a facility in Egypt.
There are currently no chemical recycling activities in Egypt. The projected plant would be equipped with Honeywell’s latest UpCycle Process technology to convert waste plastic into recycled polymer feedstock (RPF). Used in conjunction with other chemical and mechanical recycling processes, the technology has the potential to help recycle up to 90 percent of waste plastics - a very sizeable increase in the volume of waste plastics able to be processed into polymer feedstock.
Honeywell has a portfolio of ready now solutions available that reduce waste, lower carbon emissions and support sustainable energy transition, said Khaled Hashem, president, Honeywell Egypt and North Africa. The company is well-positioned to support Middle Eastern and North African countries in their ESG goals,” he added.
Under the terms of the MoU, Environ will conduct a project feasibility study to explore trends, feedstock availability and potential markets, technical studies for the operation of the plant and facility, as well as overall project schedule, financial modelling and analysis. Honeywell UOP will provide Environ with technical and commercial information and analysis and broader project support.
“We are fully invested along the entire waste value chain and moving into chemical recycling is a natural evolution of our scope of work,” said Omar M. El Hassanein, CEO for the Waste Treatment and Resource Recovery division within Intro Sustainable Resources. “We are always on the lookout for innovative technologies that will help us decarbonise our customers’ operations and contribute to the country’s NDCs.”
Decarbonisation is a goal that is being pursued by Honeywell, as well. The company aims to be carbon neutral across its operations and facilities by 2035, and is supporting similar sustainability initiatives across the Middle East and North Africa.
This agreement also supports the objectives of Egypt’s Vision 2030. Developed in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Vision 2030 includes a target to reduce greenhouse gases by 10 percent from the energy sector, including oil and gas, by 2030 compared to 2016 levels. And Egypt’s National Climate Change Strategy aims to increase the share of renewables in its power mix to 42 percent by 2035. To that end, investments of some US$10 billion are planned to develop 10 GW of renewables and upgrade its thermal power plants.
Honeywell has been present in Egypt for more than 60 years.