Borealis and Neste cooperate to accelerate circularity and bioeconomy in plastics.
Borealis and Neste enter into strategic co-operation to produce renewable polypropylene (PP). The co-operation will enable Borealis to start using Neste’s 100% renewable propane produced with Neste’s proprietary Nexbtl technology as renewable feedstock at its facilities in Kallo and Beringen, Belgium, starting at the end of 2019.
Neste offers bio-based alternatives to conventional fossil-based feedstock to produce polymers and chemicals. Neste reportedly has an annual production capacity of 3 million tons of renewable products. With its proprietary Nexbtl technology, it can utilize nearly any bio-based oil or fat as raw material, including lower-quality waste and residue oils to produce various premium-quality renewable products, according to the companies. Borealis will use Neste’s renewable propane, produced in Rotterdam, at its facilities in Belgium to create an entire portfolio of applications based on renewable PP. This marks the first time that Borealis will use bio-based feedstock to partially replace fossil feedstock in commercial production of PP. It will also reportedly be the first time that renewable propane dehydrogenation is carried out at an industrial scale. The product will offer the same product properties as conventional PP and is fully recyclable.
Borealis’ propane dehydrogenation (PDH) and PP plant set-up in Kallo will enable the company to start offering bio-based propylene and consequently bio-based-PP in which bio-based content can be physically verified and measured. In addition, Borealis will continue to apply mass balance approach in its production at Kallo and Beringen to provide both renewable propylene and renewable polypropylene to its customers. The process will be certified by the ISCC Plus (International Sustainability & Carbon Certification), whose full value chain scope ensures that the renewable feedstock used is certified renewable, sustainably produced and traceable to point of origin.
“Using renewable feedstocks produced primarily from waste and residue streams is a major contribution to reducing our reliance on fossil fuel based feedstocks,” explains Lucrèce Foufopoulos, Borealis executive vice president polyolefins, innovation and technology and circular economy solutions. “Through co-operation with Neste we can offer our customers and partners a new portfolio of renewable PP products, helping them to make their offering more climate friendly.”
For more information, visit: www.borealisgroup.com
