Covestro-Backed BioBTX Advances Waste-to-Aromatics Production

Dutch circular-chemistry technology developer BioBTX is constructing the world’s first commercial-scale plant to convert mixed plastic waste into high-quality aromatic chemicals using its proprietary Integrated Catalytic Cracking Process (ICCP). Covestro has supported the Groningen-based company as a shareholder and strategic partner since 2024, following a mid-single-digit million-euro investment.

The plant will be built at Chemical Park Delfzijl on the northern coast of the Netherlands and is expected to create 35 jobs. Using BioBTX’s proprietary ICCP technology, it will convert mixed plastic waste that would otherwise be incinerated or sent to landfill into an aromatic oil containing benzene, toluene and xylenes (BTX) through catalytic pyrolysis. These chemicals are essential building blocks for coatings, pharmaceuticals and high-performance materials. They can also be used in Covestro’s production of MDI and TDI, which are key raw materials for flexible foams used in mattresses and rigid foams used to insulate refrigerators.

"We've followed BioBTX's progress for years and are very happy to now see the point where the technology proves itself at industrial scale," says Dr. Thorsten Dreier, Chief Technology Officer at Covestro. "This marks a very important step. Moreover, it processes mixed plastic waste instead of a single sorted stream, which is exactly the kind of recycling we need more of at scale to make a circular economy become reality."

The plant is expected to process approximately 20,000 tonnes of waste annually, producing around 10,000 tonnes of renewable aromatic oil and 8,000 tonnes of sustainable by-products. Compared with conventional fossil-based BTX production, the process could reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with these chemical building blocks by 70–80%.

“Reaching this key milestone in the development of BioBTX marks an important step in our journey towards our mission of making circular chemistry possible. I am very proud of the full BioBTX team and shareholders whose dedication and commitment has made this achievement possible. We are going to build our world’s first fully sustainable aromatic plant. A great accomplishment!” says Ton Vries, Co-founder and CEO of BioBTX.

This milestone marks the culmination of a 14-year journey that began with an idea in 2012 and progressed through laboratory and pilot-scale development to commercial implementation. Although the first plant will process mixed plastic waste, the feedstock-flexible ICCP technology could eventually be adapted to use other materials, including biomass.

Source: Covestro