Intecsa Industrial, a Spain-based internationally-operating engineering company with expertise in the turn-key execution of industrial plants and gr3n, a Swiss PET chemical recycler have entered into a binding Memorandum of Understanding to establish a joint venture to build an industrial scale recycling facility in Spain. As a shareholder in gr3n, Intecsa sees the technology developed by the recycling company as having the ‘potential to change the recycling industry’, according to Ramiro Prieto, Commercial and New Business Units Director at Intecsa Industrial. “Their technology allows us to tackle things other technologies cannot,” he said.
Their technology, called MADE - Microwave Assisted Depolymerisation - will be used to build a ‘First-of-a-Kind’ manufacturing facility, commencing the EPC phase in Q4-2024. gr3n SA and Intecsa Industrial intend to produce 40,000 tons of recycled PET per year by 2027. The technology is capable of processing PET from various industries including textile waste, closing the loop for hard to recycle PET applications.
“This is a huge step for gr3n, as it will allow us to grow even more, showing enhanced recycling is something tangible and that it is possible to bring MADE, our Microwave Assisted Depolymerization, to market,” said Maurizio Crippa, gr3n founder and CEO. Many previous efforts by companies to transfer enhanced recycling from the research laboratory to manufacturing scale have for the most been stalled by the economics - and skepticism of the first adopters.
“Shareholders have the full view on gr3n’s operations, so moving forward with one of them is further confirmation of their trust but also of the strength of the data and the results generated,” emphasised Crippa
The MADE technology developed by gr3n has the potential to provide a reliable enhanced recycling solution that closes the PET loop, results in food grade polymer material, processes a large variety of waste and reduces the carbon footprint of materials usually destined for incineration or landfill.