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January 14, 2021 09:02 AM

KBR, Mura partner to spur global development of the world’s first advanced recycling process based on steam

Karen Laird
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    Advanced recycling technology company Mura Technology in the UK has announced that it is partnering with KBR, a leading international provider of science, technology and engineering solutions, to promote the global development of its proprietary technology, Cat-HTR.

    The technology developed by Mura is capable of recycling all forms of plastic waste, including those today considered unrecyclable, such as multi-layer, flexible plastic products like films, pots, tubs, trays and other packaging that is currently incinerated or sent to landfill.

    Called Cat-HTR - Catalytic Hydrothermal Reactor - technology, the process is the first in the world to  use supercritical steam to convert plastics back into the original chemicals and oils from which they were made. This supercritical steam, which is actually water that is at a higher pressure and temperature than its critical point (22.1MPa, 374 °C), acts like molecular scissors, cutting the longer-chain hydrocarbon bonds in the plastics to produce shorter-chain hydrocarbon products. These intermediate hydrocarbon products are then ready to be used to produce new, virgin-grade plastic and other materials, or sustainably reused in other sectors, such as in roads. New materials made with products derived from the Cat‑HTR hydrothermal liquefaction process are suitable for use in food-contact packaging.

    With this technology, Mura Technology wants to change the way the world thinks about plastics - not as a waste product, but as a valuable resource, said Steve Mahon, CEO.

    “We face a global plastic pollution disaster, as only a minority of plastic waste can be recycled - the rest goes into the ocean, incineration or landfill - at great expense. Meanwhile, we take more oil out of the ground to make new plastics.” 

    Steve Mahon

    Cat-HTR has the potential to help waste plastic to become a resource, creating a circular plastics economy and decoupling the manufacture of new plastics from fossil fuels. It can also cut carbon emissions; each tonne of plastic processed via advanced recycling saves 1.5 tonnes of CO2 compared to incineration.

    The company aims to have 1 million tonnes of global plastic waste recycling capacity in operation or development by 2025. To that end, Mura Technology has partnered with KBR as its exclusive licensing partner, to enable the identification of new markets for the technology and provide engineering and technical services and equipment to develop sites for global clients. 

     “KBR is a natural partner for us to achieve this vision - a global leader with the capabilities to support the licensing of our technology around the world,” said Mahon.  

    KBR will offer Cat-HTR for license to clients, enabling them to efficiently recycle end-of-life waste plastic, said Doug Kelly, KBR President, Technology.

    “This technology aligns with KBR’s commitment to sustainability by reducing lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions and the volume of waste that enters landfills and the environment, whilst contributing to the growth of the plastic circular economy.”

    Alongside the KBR partnership, Mura retains the ability to develop its own operational recycling capacity, with the first Cat-HTR site currently in development at Teesside in North East England. On completion, the site will be able to process 80,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year. Mura also has also identified development opportunities in Germany and the USA, with exploration into Asian markets underway.

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