Recyclıng Has No Boundarıes

  • Recyclıng Has No Boundarıes


The Austrian companies OMV and Borealis have initiated a project to re-use the refinery by providing chemical recycling of plastic waste.
Austrian oil company OMV believes that plastics are a valuable resource that should not be discarded after use, and Borealis, Europe’s second largest and eighth largest producer of polyethylene and polypropylene in the world, is looking for synergies to create a cyclic economy. OMV has launched an OMV ReOil innovation project with Borealis to improve the chemical recycling of consumer-disposed plastics. Within the scope of the project, OMV is reusing plastic wastes that it recycles into synthetic raw materials at OMV ReOil pilot plant at Schwechat Refinery, where it supplies petrochemical raw materials to Borealis.

SCALE GROWTH STEP WILL BE TAKEN

The OMV ReOil pilot plant is fully integrated into the refinery and operates with a processing capacity equivalent to 100 liters of synthetic crude oil, which processes up to 100 kilograms per hour. This synthetic product is processed as a raw material for the plastics industry or fuel, creating a resource-efficient cyclic economy. A further scale-up step is planned for the plant to reach its final industrial capacity.

A CLOSED CYCLIC ECONOMY

According to Thomas Gangl, OMV Refinery and Senior Vice President of Petrochemicals, the secret to a successful future is to respect resources and make the most of what we have. Borealis is an excellent choice for us. The OMV Schwechat Refinery makes crude oil a high quality raw material for Borealis. Plastic wastes are recycled into synthetic raw materials in the OMV ReOil pilot plant and reused in the refinery – a closed cyclic economy.

PARTNERSHIP OF CHEMICAL RECYCLING OF PLASTIC WASTES

Thomas Van De Velde, Senior Vice President of Hydrocarbons and Energy, said in a statement;

In addition to our existing solutions for the mechanical recycling of plastics, this cooperation with OMV is important for the chemical recycling of plastic waste to be used as raw material for polyolefin solutions and is a concrete step for our cyclical economy strategy. Working with leading partners in our industries fits perfectly with Borealis’ Open Innovation strategy and underlines our strategy of being a pioneer in developing the cyclic economy of plastics. Our goal is to provide value-added solutions that meet the global challenges our customers may face.