In Geleen, the Netherlands’ Chemelot Industrial Park, Syclus will construct and run a plant for the synthesis of renewable ethylene from sustainable ethanol.
In Geleen, the Netherlands’ Chemelot Industrial Park, Syclus will construct and run a plant for the synthesis of renewable ethylene from sustainable ethanol.
This renewable ethanol-to-ethylene production plant would be a first in Europe with a production capacity of around 100,000 tonnes per year, opening the door for a more environmentally friendly method of making plastics.
The facility will utilise French company Axens’ Atol® technology. Thanks to a best-in-class catalyst, Atol® has a number of advantages, including very high, cost-effective ethylene yields and the ability to use process energy efficiently to reduce emissions.
The technology can produce ethylene that is widely regarded as being of the highest quality available on the market, meeting the requirements of both Chemelot and the extensive ethylene pipeline network in Northwest Europe, known as the ARG.
Production is expected to start in 2026, with basic engineering beginning this year. CropEnergies, which runs a nearby facility for the production of renewable ethanol and who in 2022 acquired a significant stake in Syclus, will produce ethanol locally. More than €130 million is thought to be needed in investment.
Syclus’ general manager, Igor Hensing, announced: “Syclus has chosen Axens as licensor for the ethanol to ethylene project. The Atol® technology from Axens offers high efficiency, low energy consumption, high product quality, and superior safety performance. This bolsters Syclus’ goal of creating a new standard for renewable ethylene.
Based on our collaboration, Axens has demonstrated that they share Syclus’ ambition, and we are confident that we have chosen the best partner to ensure the successful design, construction, and operation of our plant.
CropEnergies AG CEO and CFO Stephan Meeder continued: “With a 50% stake in Syclus, we are delighted that they have moved forward with the ethanol to ethylene project by choosing Axens as a partner. A crucial step towards defossilizating plastics production and enhancing its sustainability is the use of renewable ethylene. By the end of this year, CropEnergies hopes to decide on the next phase, which will be the basic engineering, depending on the findings of the feasibility study that is currently being conducted.
The executive vice president of technology and technical support at Axens, Jacques Rault, stated: “Atol is a mature technology with 5 references already in the world. We are delighted to be working on Atol’s first reference in Europe and grateful that Syclus chose us. We have every reason to believe that atol will be the source of renewable ethylene in the future because it is a safe, dependable, low-carbon solution.