LyondellBasell to Produce Pyrolysis Oils from Plastic

According to Reuters, LyondellBasell is considering converting it’s Houston refinery to the production of pyrolysis oils. The Houston crude oil refinery is scheduled to close at the end of 2023. The new operation would recycle plastic waste by pyrolysis and convert it to a stream of hydrocarbons referred to as pyrolysis oil. The company announced that hydrotreaters on the current plant site could be used to upgrade the pyrolysis oil. ICIS reports that they will use a selective catalyst in the process to produce a pyrolysis oil that is said to be similar to naphtha.

ICIS reports that the pyrolysis oil could be transferred to a nearby Channelview cracker by pipeline to crack the pyrolysis oils into a into undisclosed products.

LyondellBasell announced in May of 2021 from Wesseling, Germany, that it has been making steps toward a circular economy by converting polymer waste to virgin quality polymer. It was reported that they intend to produce ethylene and propylene monomer from their process. Virgin quality polymer would open the food contact market to the product. Details are limited.

Polymer waste contains a good deal of potential energy locked in the hydrocarbon chains. Conversion to liquid fuels would represent a type of energy recovery. I have not seen thermodynamic calculations revealing the energy efficiency in converting polymer waste to fuel.

Most synthetic organic polymers are substantially hydrocarbon in composition and can be thermally depolymerized or otherwise cracked to produce valuable liquid chemical feedstocks. Some companies are now realizing the value locked into polymer waste.

LyondellBasell has pledged to reduce CO2 emissions 15 % per ton of product worldwide.