Encina eyes ’23 start-up for US chem-recycling plant; to supply Braskem

HOUSTON (ICIS)–Encina plans expects to start up its new chemical recycling plant in 2023, one which should supply feedstock to Braskem’s polypropylene (PP) operations in the US, a director with the company said on Tuesday.

Encina is in final talks for the location of the plant, said David Schwedel, executive director of Encina. The company is considering three locations in the northeast, and it should complete site selection in the first quarter of 2021.

Earlier on Tuesday, Encina and Braskem America announced their intent to develop a formal supply agreement prior to the plant’s financing approval in 2021, Braskem said.

Under the the agreement, Encina would provide Braskem America with feedstock, which the polyolefins producer will use to make recycled PP, Braskem said.

Braskem said it would also work with Encina to develop the logistics, product quality and certifications for the propylene feedstock it will use to make recycled PP that can be used in food packaging, consumer and hygiene products.

The plant will rely on catalytic pyrolysis that will convert waste plastic into feedstock, Braskem said.

Schwedel said additional products include naphtha and aromatics, including benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTX).

Ground breaking should take place in the second half of 2021, Braskem said. The plant will have an initial capacity to process 175,000 tonnes/year of plastic waste, converting it to more than 90,000 tonnes/year of recycled chemicals.

The plant can be expanded to process 350,000 tonnes/year of plastic waste in future phases, Braskem said.

Unlike mechanical recycling, chemical recycling does not simply re-melt and re-process waste plastic. Instead, it breaks down the chemical bonds in the plastic, producing feedstock that can be re-polymerised to form new plastics with properties nearly indistinguishable from virgin material.

Chemical recycling can handle low-quality waste plastic that cannot be handled by mechanical recycling.

In a statement, Braskem CEO Mark Nikolich said, “Encina’s technology and this important project will divert thousands of tons of hard-to-recycle plastic from landfills.”

He added, “This agreement is an important step in our next phase of growth as a company, aimed at realising our vision of a carbon-neutral circular economy and helping our clients meet their aggressive recycled content goals in the years to come.”

Braskem America is the US subsidiary of Brazilian polyolefins producer Braskem.

Thumbnail image shows PP. Photo by Shutterstock

Additional reporting by Mark Victory