The Netherlands-based France-headed chemical process technology provider Axens, an IFP Group company, has announced that it has been selected by the Netherlands-based bio-based chemicals start-up Syclus BV to provide its "Atol" technology for Europe’s first renewable ethanol-to-ethylene production plant that is currently being planned.
The result of a strong partnership between TotalEnergies, IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN), and its affiliate Axens, Atol is a technology for the production of polymer-grade ethylene by dehydration of any kind of renewable ethanol from biomass or waste.
The ethylene produced can be integrated partially and/or in total replacement of fossil hydrocarbon-based ethylene in various downstream polymerization installations without requiring modifications.
According to Axens, Atol features very high, cost-effective, ethylene yields thanks to a best-in-class catalyst, and allows for an optimized use of process energy, which minimizes emissions.
Atol is a mature technology that already counts five references around the world. We couldn’t be happier to work on Atol’s first reference in Europe and are honored to have been selected by Syclus. Atol is a safe, reliable, low-carbon solution and we have all the reasons to believe that it is the future of renewable ethylene, said Jacques Rault, EVP of Technology & Technical Support at Axens.
High efficiency and low energy consumption
The planned facility is estimated to require more than EUR 130 million of investment and is to be built in the Chemelot Industrial Park, Geleen, the Netherlands.
The plant will rely on Axens Atol ethanol-to-ethylene process technology to produce high-quality ethylene fulfilling the specifications required by Chemelot and also by ARG, the extensive ethylene pipeline network in Northwest Europe.
Basic engineering is scheduled to start in late 2023, and production in 2026.
Syclus has selected Axens as a licensor for the ethanol-to-ethylene project. Axens’ Atol technology provides high efficiency combined with a low energy consumption process next to high product quality and safety performance. This supports Syclus’ ambition to set a new benchmark in renewable ethylene. Based on our cooperation Axens has shown to share Syclus’ ambition and we are convinced to have selected the right partner to make the design, construction, and operation of our plant a success, said Igor Hensing, General Director of Syclus.
Renewable ethanol from CropEnergies
The ethanol will be produced by Germany-headed CropEnergies AG, a Südzucker Group company, which operates a plant for the production of renewable ethanol nearby and that acquired a 50 percent share in Syclus in 2022.
Having a 50 percent stake in Syclus, we are very happy that they have taken the next step for the realization of the ethanol-to-ethylene project with the selection of Axens as a partner. Renewable ethylene is an important step in defossilizing the production of plastics, making it more sustainable. Depending on the results of the feasibility study which is currently being carried out, CropEnergies expects to make a decision for the next phase, which will be the basic engineering, by the end of this year, said Dr Stephan Meeder, CEO and CFO of CropEnergies.
