Shell and Pryme sign strategic plastic waste to chemicals cooperation agreement

Rotterdam − Shell Chemicals Europe BV and Pryme BV today announced a strategic cooperation and offtake agreement for pyrolysis oil made from recycled plastic waste. Pryme will supply Shell from its first plant located in  Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Currently under construction, the plant is scheduled  to become operational in 2022 and is forecast to convert 60,000 tonnes of  plastic waste into pyrolysis oil annually. Shell will use Pryme’s pyrolysis oil in its  Moerdijk (The Netherlands) and Rheinland (Germany) crackers to make circular chemicals products. 

The agreement also includes provision for future supply to be delivered from  Pryme’s proposed second plant in the region. The proposed plant will have an  estimated annual pyrolysis oil production capacity of 350,000 tonnes. Start-up  for the second plant is planned for 2024. 

“With increasing demand for circular chemicals from customers, our agreement  with Pryme enables us to significantly grow volumes as early as next year. The agreement builds on Shell’s ambition to recycle one million tonnes of plastic waste per year in our global chemicals plants by 2025,” said Thomas Casparie, SVP North West Europe, Shell Chemicals and Products. 
“To support the long-term growth of this promising industry, Shell is excited to work with key partners to develop the solutions necessary to produce the industrial quantities required to meet customer demand and our ambition.” 

As part of the strategic agreement, Shell and Pryme will cooperate on the testing and evaluation of pyrolysis liquid samples from Pryme’s test plant in Ghent, Belgium. This process will enhance the understanding of both companies into the  optimal properties of pyrolysis oil for use in chemical crackers. This is a key step needed to develop and mature the value chain and will bring efficiencies to the recycling of plastic waste on an industrial scale. 

Pryme making plastics circular

"We are excited to announce our strategic cooperation with Shell, which we see as an important validation of our technology. This relationship, combined with our scalable technology, will enable Pryme to commit to equivalent long-term volumes with plastic waste suppliers and help accelerate the growth of this developing and necessary value chain.” says Jos van der Endt, CEO and founder of Pryme.
“I’m delighted we are building on our strong relationship with Shell. We are both 
committed to developing the pyrolysis oil market; and together I’m sure we can 
make significant progress in advancing an industrial scale plastic waste to 
chemicals value chain."