IGES Amsterdam started the construction of a plant transforming plastic to oil in March 2018. The construction of the plant is about to conclude, and road-ready fuel is scheduled to be produced by the end of 2018. IGES Amsterdam uses plastic feedstock that is polluted in such a way that it is not suitable for mechanical recycling. These plastics are then transformed into fuel for the transportation industry. The project foresees the transformation of approximately 35.000 tons of plastic into 30 million litres of fuel annually. The ultimate goal is the implementation of chemical recycling, in order to enable the creation of new plastics. This goal corresponds with the goals of the Dutch government in the national waste management plan.
Some key facts and figures regarding the project include:
- Processing 35.000 tons of plastic results in a reduction of approximately 57.270 tons of CO2 emissions.
- The fuel is of diesel quality, ‘ultra-low sulphur diesel’ (EN590), and as sustainable as biodiesel.
- The produced fuel emits 80% less CO2 compared to regular Diesel.
- The fuel is an alternative to the 1st generation bio-fuels, while having the advantage over the food industry of not making inefficient use of crops and land.
- The fuel can be stored as an alternative to electric energy, which is hard and inefficient to store.
- Producing fuel from used plastic addresses the plastic waste treatment challenge.
- In addition to fuel, naphtha is also produced; a resource for new sustainable plastics.