MOSCOW (MRC) -- Plastic Energy and Axens have announced the signing of a strategic collaboration agreement in the field of advanced recycling of plastics, to increase recycling and decrease plastic waste, said Hydrocarbonprocessing.
Plastic Energy and Axens will market and license Plastic Energy’s patented, industrially proven advanced recycling technology, which uses a thermal anaerobic conversion (TAC) pyrolysis process to recycle, end-of-life plastics that would otherwise be destined for landfill, incineration or end up in the environment. The Plastic waste from Plastic Energy’s process is turned into raw materials that can be used to create virgin-quality polymers.
The partners will provide customers with technical and business case studies, basic engineering, technical services, proprietary equipment, complete modular units and support to operations, leveraging Plastic Energy and Axens’ complementary operational, licensing and engineering skills. The partners will also be in position to propose and license a complete technological solution for the pyrolysis pathway, combining Plastic Energy’s recycling technology and the Axens Rewind® Mix process for the purification of plastics pyrolysis oil.
"We are extremely glad to announce our strategic partnership with Plastic Energy, a major milestone in Axens’ ambition to develop and propose an extended portfolio of advanced technologies for the plastic circular economy. Achieving a true circular economy of recycled polymers, including for food contact and health care grade, is a largely shared objective. We believe that Plastic Energy and Axens, together and leveraging our complementary operational and technological skills, can now offer a combination of proven technologies to make it possible” said Jean Sentenac, Chairman and CEO of Axens.
"I am delighted to announce this collaboration agreement with solution-provider Axens to expand our patented and proven advanced recycling technology globally.” said Carlos Monreal, CEO of Plastic Energy. “The operational experience that Plastic Energy has gained over the last 5 years from our current recycling plants in Spain sets us apart in the market and will be invaluable to our new licensing customers. Through this partnership with Axens, we will be able to increase the amount of plastic waste that can be recycled and work towards a more circular economy for plastics.'
As per MRC, Sumitomo Chemical has successfully conducted the first waste-based polyolefin production at its laboratory in Japan earlier this year, by use of the ethylene produced by Axens ethanol-to-ethylene technology Atol. This process value chain is complemented with the upfront “Waste to Ethanol” technology by Sekisui Chemical.
Ethylene and propylene are the main feedstocks for the production of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), respectively.
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 1,868,160 tonnes in the first nine months of 2021, up by 18% year on year. Shipments of all grades of ethylene polymers increased. At the same time, PP shipments to the Russian market were 1,138,510 tonnes in January-September 2021, up by 30% year on year. Supply of propylene homopolymer (homopolymer PP) and block-copolymers of propylene (PP block copolymers) increased, whereas supply of injection moulding statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers) decreased significantly.
MRC