Ineos Olefins & Polymers Europe and Plastic Energy are joining forces to produce 100,000 tonnes per annum of recycled raw materials from plastic waste. The two companies have entered into a Memorandum Of Understanding that outlines their intentions to construct a commercial-scale plant based on the chemical recycling technology developed by Plastic Energy. The proposed plant will be sited in Köln and represents the largest use of Plastic Energy technology on the market.
“Our position is that advanced recycling has to be done at scale in order to make the process environmentally and commercially viable,” said Rob Ingram, CEO of Ineos O&P Europe North. Production is targeted for the end of 2026.
The announcement confirms the extension of a partnership between Ineos and Plastic Energy that dates back to 2020, when the companies first undertook to explore the construction of such a plant. Since then, the companies have processed Tacoil produced by pyrolysis process developed by Plastic Energy in the Ineos cracker at Köln, Germany, using this to produce virgin-quality polymers. Selected customers and brands have already used these in their processes to demonstrate the viability and demand for materials from chemical recycling.
Ineos said it was also investing in technology to process the Tacoil further before feeding it to their steam crackers, where it will replace traditional raw materials derived from oil.
Using a mass balance approach, an independent, third-party organisation such as ISCC or RSB will certify that fossil-based feedstocks have been substituted by the new, recycled materials and ensure that recycled benefits are being accounted for correctly. A mass balance approach enables co-processing of circular and fossil feedstocks, a key step in the transition to a circular economy.