Finland-headed oil refiner, renewable fuels and chemicals major Neste Oyj is opening a new office in Düsseldorf, Germany, to serve as its global hub for its Renewable Polymers and Chemicals business unit. The business unit provides the plastics and chemicals industries globally with solutions derived from biomass and chemically recycled plastic waste, enabling sustainability-oriented companies to reduce their dependence on crude oil and reach their own sustainability targets.
The business unit and Neste’s operations in Germany will be headed by Mercedes Alonso, who joined Neste from LyondellBasell on September 1, 2019, as Executive Vice President (EVP) Renewable Polymers and Chemicals and a member of Neste Executive Committee.
By concentrating commercial operations of its renewable polymers and chemicals business into one location, Neste strives to further accelerate business growth and support its strategic aim of becoming the preferred partner as a provider of sustainable renewable and circular solutions to forerunner brands.
Germany marks the 14th country of operation for Neste. While looking to employ new talent both locally and internationally, Neste’s office in Düsseldorf already hosts an international multidisciplinary team responsible for the commercial development of Neste’s renewable polymers and chemicals business.
Establishing this global hub marks a milestone in developing and growing Neste’s Renewable Polymers and Chemicals business unit. We are eager to help companies to replace fossil-based solutions with bio-based ones and introduce circular solutions to expand the recycling of plastics to a much larger scale, said Mercedes Alonso, EVP, Renewable Polymers and Chemicals.
Germany not new to Neste
Even prior to establishing its new office in Germany, Neste has been working with various partners in Germany. Just recently, the company announced the world’s first production of bio-based polypropylene and bio-based low-density polyethylene at a commercial scale at LyondellBasell’s German site in Wesseling, for example.
Earlier, Neste “MY Renewable Diesel” has helped the Hamburg (HAM) and Stuttgart (STR) airports reduce their ground fleets’ emissions, while Neste played a key role also in a successful demonstration project testing a diesel blend “Diesel R33” in 280 buses, cars, and trucks for over a year in Coburg.
Lufthansa and Neste jointly tested Neste MY Renewable Jet Fuel in close to 1 200 flights between Frankfurt and Hamburg and one intercontinental flight between Frankfurt and Washington D.C. as early as in 2011. Just recently the companies announced that Lufthansa will use Neste’s sustainable aviation fuel, blended with fossil jet fuel on flights departing from Frankfurt.
Renewable and circular polymers and chemicals can play a major role in addressing climate change and the problem of global plastic waste alike. Germany is home to some of the world’s most successful plastics and chemical companies and Düsseldorf centrally located in terms of the Central European chemical industry. Our ambition is to join forces with frontrunners in order to create a healthier planet for our children, said Neste’s President and CEO Peter Vanacker.
