Neste commissions world's largest facility for liquefied waste plastic

Neste has successfully commissioned its new upgrading facility for liquefied waste plastic (LWP) at its refinery in Porvoo, Finland. The EUR 111 million investment is designed to process up to 150,000 tons of LWP annually, marking a significant step in scaling up chemical recycling. The facility aims to produce high-quality feedstock for the plastics and chemicals industry.

The new plant enables Neste to bridge the quality gap between crude liquefied plastic waste and the refined raw materials needed by the petrochemical sector. It is specifically designed to handle challenging waste plastic streams, such as multi-layer packaging and mixed plastic waste, which are often unsuitable for mechanical recycling.

Neste has been processing liquefied waste plastic since 2020, and the construction of the new upgrading facility began in 2023. The facility is integrated into the existing oil refinery. By employing a mass balance approach, Neste attributes the recycled raw materials to its Neste RE™ product. The company estimates that recycling challenging plastic waste can reduce virgin fossil resource consumption by over 70% and greenhouse gas emissions by over 35% compared to incineration and replacement of fossil feedstock.

The company has expressed concerns that current European Commission calculation rules for recycled content could hinder refineries' ability to meet EU targets. Neste advocates for amendments to these rules to ensure European competitiveness in the sector.

Alongside the facility, Neste also licenses liquefaction technology through partnerships to further advance the chemical recycling of difficult-to-recycle plastics.