- The EU Innovation Fund awarded a €40 million grant for an advanced recycling plant in Wesseling, Germany.
- The MoReTec plant will start operations in 2026.
- The plant will convert post-consumer plastic waste into feedstock for new plastic materials.
- The technology reduces CO2 emissions by using renewable electricity and recovering pyrolysis gas.
EU Grant for Advanced Recycling
LyondellBasell has secured a €40 million grant from the EU Innovation Fund to support the construction of an advanced recycling demonstration plant at its Wesseling, Germany site. This project is one of 41 selected in the EU Innovation Fund’s Third Call for Large Scale Projects, which aims to fund innovative clean-tech initiatives to support decarbonization.
MoReTec Technology
The MoReTec plant will utilize advanced recycling technology to convert polyolefin waste into pyrolysis oil and gas. Pyrolysis oil serves as a substitute for fossil-based materials in polymer production, while the recovered pyrolysis gas contributes to polymer production, reducing reliance on fossil-based feedstocks and lowering CO2 emissions.
Innovative Features
The technology incorporates electrification of the core reaction process, allowing the unit to operate entirely on renewable electricity. Additional advantages include a scalable single train design and low operating temperatures achieved through the use of catalysts and innovative heat transfer design. These features enable high plastic-to-plastic conversion rates, enhancing the circularity of plastic waste.
Operational Timeline
The MoReTec demonstration plant in Wesseling is scheduled to start operations in 2026. It will process post-consumer plastic waste into feedstock for new plastic materials, with an annual capacity equivalent to the plastic packaging waste generated by over 1.2 million German citizens per year.
EU Innovation Fund
The Innovation Fund is one of the world's largest funding programs for the demonstration and commercialization of innovative low-carbon technologies. It is a key component of the European Green Deal Industrial Plan and is financed by revenues from the auctioning of allowances from the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS).
