Alterra Energy, Neste, and Technip Energies have signed a collaboration agreement to advance plastic circularity by providing a standardised technology solution for chemical, or “advanced,” recycling. The partnership aims to globally offer a modular solution based on Alterra’s proprietary liquefaction technology to companies interested in expanding their chemical recycling capabilities. This readily designed, engineered solution will enable reduced pre-investment costs, quicker implementation, greater project cost predictability, and lower overall capital expenditures, making chemical recycling capacity more accessible and accelerating the circularity of polymers and chemicals.
The core of Alterra’s technology is a thermochemical liquefaction process that converts difficult-to-recycle plastics into a liquid hydrocarbon product. This intermediate product can then be further refined into high-quality raw materials for new plastics and chemicals. Neste has already processed over 6,000 tonnes of plastic-derived feeds, including ISCC PLUS certified oil from Alterra’s large-scale site in Akron, Ohio, demonstrating the technology’s potential and reliability in scaling circular materials.
Photo: Alterra’s Akron Plant in Ohio, 2024. Source: Alterra
This strategic collaboration builds on established relationships: Alterra and Neste have been collaborating on chemical recycling since 2021, with Alterra and Technip Energies partnering since 2022. Together, the three companies bring complementary expertise to deliver an efficient, modular solution: Alterra and Neste will license the liquefaction technology, while Technip Energies will design, engineer, and provide the standardised plant modules to clients globally.
Frederic Schmuck, CEO of Alterra Energy, noted, “We have a proven technology for liquefaction that encompasses 15 years of research, development, and improvement. Now we are reducing the hurdles for companies interested in investing in liquefaction, ultimately enabling a copy-paste solution for liquefaction plants, allowing for fast scale-up of economically viable recycling capacities worldwide.”
Andreas Teir, responsible for chemical recycling at Neste, highlighted the strong demand for sustainable solutions, stating, “We have already established our role in processing circular feedstocks into high-quality raw materials for the petrochemicals industry, and our ambition is to grow these volumes in the coming years. We look forward to offering a robust and easy-to-deploy liquefaction technology that also helps meet our own demand for liquefied waste plastic.”
Bhaskar Patel, SVP of Sustainable Fuels, Chemicals & Circularity at Technip Energies, addressed industry trends favouring lower pre-investment costs and proven technology, saying, “We are excited to support the market with Alterra’s proven technology, enhanced with Neste, and our standard modular solution. We believe this offering, paired with Neste’s brand and the rising demand for liquefied waste plastic, will facilitate rapid deployment of new chemical recycling capacity.”
Through this partnership, Alterra, Neste, and Technip Energies aim to accelerate the global deployment of circular solutions, reducing dependency on virgin fossil resources and enabling a more sustainable approach to polymer and chemical production.
For more information visit www.neste.com
