Partners of a Netherlands-based Waste-to Chemicals project consortium have proposed the Port of Rotterdam as the location for a planned residual waste to methanol plant. The methanol is to be used as a feedstock by the chemical industry.

Consisting of AkzoNobel, Van Gansewinkel, Air Liquide, AVR and Enerkem, the waste to chemicals partnership has announced that seeks to build its waste-to-chemicals plant in Rotterdam in collaboration with the Port of Rotterdam, the City of Rotterdam, the province of South Holland and InnovationQuarter. The announcement marks the beginning of a new phase for the members of the consortium who will now work together to finalise the business case which involves the selection of the exact location within the Port of Rotterdam and the start of the application process for the necessary permits.
The new chemical plant will use process technology developed by Canadian partner Enerkem to convert residual waste into methanol. The methanol will then be converted into chemicals such as acetic acid, thickening agents and dimethyl ether (DME). These chemicals are currently produced almost entirely from fossil fuels. The planned facility will therefore provide a sustainable alternative by producing a renewable chemical and will represent a significant step toward a sustainable and circular approach to waste management in Rotterdam. Enerkem have a commercial waste to methanol plant in operation in Edmonton, Canada.
– We are excited to help advance the circular economy in the Netherlands with our proprietary chemical recycling technology which provides a cost-effective solution that complements source separation and conventional recycling and produces a renewable raw material for the chemical industry, said Timothy J. Cesarek, Senior Vice President, Business Development at Enerkem in a statement.
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