According to the companies, the facility could deliver around 120 kilotons per annum (KTA) of advanced recycling capacity when running fully. It is expected to be operational by 2025.
Similar facilities built in the Europe and the US could collectively add as much as 600 KTA of advanced recycling capacity by 2030, Dow said.
Dow and Mura have already constructed a facility in Teesside, UK, which uses Mura’s HydroPRS recycling process and is expected be operational in 2023 with an initial 20 KTA production line.
HydroPRS uses supercritical steam to convert most forms of plastics back into the original oils and chemicals from which they were made. These can then be used to create new plastic products. With Mura’s process, the same material can be recycled repeatedly, according to Dow.
“We continue to increase Dow’s capacity to use recycled content as feedstock, and continue to invest in the most effective technology available to enable our circular business model for plastics,” said Diego Donoso, president of Dow Packaging & Specialty Plastics. “The diversification of our feedstock slate and decarbonization of our assets will enable the achievement of Dow’s goal of a sustainable, low-carbon future, and meet strong and growing customer demand for circular polymers. This will be a significant step forward to decrease our dependency on virgin fossil-based feedstocks.”