
Shell Chemicals and Braskem collaborate to produce circular polypropylene
Rotterdam, January, 15th 2024 - Shell Chemicals and Braskem will collaborate to increase the amount of circular content used in Braskemâs production of polypropylene as part of a wider value chain enhancement. The circular polypropylene will be produced using a ISCC PLUS-certified feedstock, based on a mass balance approach and will be used by Braskemâs customers in a variety of applications such as in the packaging and automotive sectors.
Shell plans to upgrade, and process pyrolysis oil made from plastic waste, at its new upgrader plant at Shellâs Chemicals Park at Moerdijk, Netherlands, before delivery and further conversion at Braskemâs polypropylene plant in Wesseling, Germany. The upgrader, which is under construction, has a capacity to process up to 50,000 tonnes of pyrolysis oil a year and will remove many of the impurities found within pyrolysis oil to produce higher quality feedstock for chemicals production. This upgraded feedstock can be used to replace conventional virgin fossil feedstocks for the chemicals industry.
DaniĂ«lle Ebentreich, Chief Marketing & Sustainability Officer at Shell Chemicals states âThis agreement emphasizes our commitment to addressing challenging environmental issues, like plastic waste and hard-to-recycle plastics. By using our investments in innovative, sustainable projects at Shellâs strategically positioned Energy and Chemical Parks we are able to play a key role, together with our partners throughout the value chain, in unlocking sustainable solutions for our customers and society.â
âAdopting initiatives that include plastic waste recovery, and mechanical and chemical recycling in our production processes is connected to our companyâs purpose to provide a more circular and sustainable future, on top of the leading position Braskem has in biopolymers globally. This agreement represents an important step to combine Shellâs technology and infrastructure with Braskemâs polymer expertise and market knowledge towards more sustainable and scalable solutionsâ, says Walmir Soller, VP of Olefins and Polyolefins at Braskem Europe & Asia.
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Pyrolysis oil is a liquid that replaces virgin hydrocarbons in the production of chemicals which are the building blocks of a wide range of products we use every day, including new plastic products, while pyrolysis is a special heating process that turns hard-to-recycle plastics into a pyrolysis oil. Mass balance is an independent accounting process and widely used across the industry which enables Shell to attribute the circular nature of pyrolysis oil to specific end products produced with mix of traditional and novel circular feedstocks. The product will be verified through independent and third-party ISCC PLUS-certification.
A complementary solution to mechanical recycling, chemical recycling can help improve recycling rates and introduce products with more recycled content to the market. An enabling policy framework that incentivises both demand and supply of circular products is critical to unlock investment, introduce more recycled products to everyday life and achieve a more circular economy for plastics. Recycling and recycled content targets are key to driving demand for circular products.
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