Covestro-Backed BioBTX Set to Produce Aromatics from Plastic Waste
Dutch circular chemistry technology developer BioBTX is building its first commercial-scale plant to convert mixed plastic waste into aromatic chemicals using its Integrated Catalytic Cracking Process (ICCP) technology. Covestro has been a shareholder and strategic partner in the Groningen-based company since 2024.
The plant, located at Chemical Park Delfzijl in the Netherlands, will use catalytic pyrolysis to convert mixed plastic waste that might otherwise be incinerated or landfilled into an aromatic oil containing benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTX). These chemical building blocks are used in coatings, pharmaceuticals and performance materials, as well as in the production of MDI and TDI isocyanates.
“We've followed BioBTX's progress for years and are very happy to now see the point where the technology proves itself at industrial scale,” said Dr. Thorsten Dreier, chief technology officer at Covestro. “Moreover, it processes mixed plastic waste instead of a single sorted stream, which is exactly the kind of recycling we need more of at scale to make a circular economy become reality.”
The plant is expected to process approximately 20,000 tonnes of waste annually, producing about 10,000 tonnes of renewable aromatic oil and 8,000 tonnes of by-products. BioBTX estimates that the process could reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with the resulting chemical building blocks by 70% to 80% compared with conventional fossil-based BTX production.
The project follows 14 years of development from laboratory and pilot-scale work to commercial production. Although the first plant will process mixed plastic waste, the ICCP technology can also use other feedstocks, including biomass.
Learn more about Covestro at www.covestro.com. Additional information about BioBTX is available at
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