The Dutch Government has awarded BlueAlp, Renewi, Shell, and Utrecht University with €1.5 million in funding to support their chemical recycling solution for flexible plastics.
Project CLEAN (Catalytic Low-temp Efficiency for Advanced DecontaminatioN) is a four-year research project that aims to dewater, decontaminate, and depolymerize polyolefin films for use in chemical production via thermal pyrolysis.
It involves BlueAlp’s thermal pyrolysis technology, which is claimed to replace virgin fossil feedstocks, reduce energy consumption, and achieve high oil purity. This is anticipated to improve circularity for products like food packaging, thus cutting down on plastic pollution and helping customers pursue their sustainability goals.
The technology is combined with Renewi’s experience in separating, sorting and densifying polyolefin films; Shell’s knowledge of pyrolysis oil conversion into chemicals; and Utrecht University’s development of materials for adsorption and catalysis.
Altogether, Project CLEAN is expected to be a cost-effective approach to removing the unwanted components in mixed plastic waste, purifying recyclate, and unlocking more circular plastic products.
The €1.5 million subsidy has been provided by the Dutch Government’s National Growth Fund initiative via Circular Plastics NL.
“Chemical recycling is happening at scale with our technology,” said BlueAlp CEO Valentijn de Neve. “We are now looking at the next challenge that comes with scale. Managing contaminants in an even more efficient way by looking across the value chain.
“I am proud of this consortium where BlueAlp will work with Renewi, Shell and University of Utrecht to bring new solutions to this space.”
Earlier this year, PolyCycl also announced that it would use Series A funding from Rainmatter by Zerodha to deploy its technology for recycling low-grade plastic waste into feedstock for the production of low-carbon materials. Liquid hydrocarbon oils made from waste such as single-use polythene bags are supplied to oil, gas, and petrochemical companies to be used as feedstock in further material production.
In other news, Plastic Energy claims to have converted hard-to-recycle post-consumer plastic waste into pyrolysis oil at its facility in Geleen. This pyrolysis oil will be used to produce food-contact packaging, medical plastics, and more.
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