Dow has today announced the purchase of a stake in Xycle, a Rotterdam-based chemical/advanced recycling company, in partnership with ING, Invest-NL, Polestar Capital and Vopak.
The funds raised will support the construction of Xycle’s first commercial-scale advanced recycling plant, located in the Port of Rotterdam.
The facility is expected to be fully operational by Q4 2026, with a projected plastic waste processing capacity of 21 kilotons annually (kta).
Xycle’s advanced recycling technology uses low-temperature pyrolysis to break down difficult-to-recycle plastic waste into pyrolysis oil, reportedly increasing the liquid fraction available for use as cracker feedstock in new plastic production.
The company says that this feedstock can be used to manufacture virgin-quality plastics for high-value applications, such as food-grade packaging, and medical and automotive components.
The modular layout of Xycle’s facilities allows production to scale up or down depending on demand, with the aim of ensuring both flexibility and efficiency in operations. In the future, Xycle plans to develop more advanced recycling facilities globally, utilizing larger reactor sizes to increase single plant capacity to 100 kta.
Arnd Thomas, chief executive officer, Xycle Holding commented: “Dow’s investment – alongside our other partners - in Xycle’s first commercial facility marks a significant step in developing and expanding our innovative pyrolysis-based technology, which has been shown to deliver best-in-class yield for cracker feedstock.
“Working closely with Dow will ensure we can leverage their expertise in developing high-quality circular materials, enabling us to scale our unique technology and accelerate the transition to a circular economy for plastics.”
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