New PETRA facility in the Netherlands will transform mixed plastic waste into renewable chemical building blocks for plastics, coatings, and industrial applications using proprietary ICCP technology.
BioBTX has announced the construction of the world’s first commercial-scale factory that will convert mixed plastic waste directly into renewable aromatic chemicals, marking a major milestone in advanced chemical recycling. The new PETRA facility will be built at Chemical Park Delfzijl in the Netherlands and will commercialize the company’s proprietary Integrated Catalytic Cracking Process (ICCP) technology.
The PETRA plant will process around 20,000 tonnes of mixed plastic waste annually, producing approximately 10,000 tonnes of renewable aromatic oil along with 8,000 tonnes of sustainable co-products. The renewable aromatics—primarily benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX)—are essential raw materials used in the manufacture of plastics, synthetic rubber, coatings, adhesives, insulation materials, textiles, pharmaceuticals, and numerous industrial chemicals.
Unlike conventional recycling methods that require clean and sorted plastics, BioBTX’s ICCP technology is designed to process mixed and contaminated plastic waste that is often difficult to recycle mechanically. The process first thermally breaks down plastic waste in an oxygen-free environment and then catalytically converts the resulting hydrocarbons into high-value renewable aromatics that can directly replace fossil-based chemical feedstocks.
According to BioBTX, the commercial plant is expected to achieve a 70–80% reduction in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional fossil-based aromatic production. The project represents the culmination of more than 14 years of research and development, moving the technology from laboratory research and pilot-scale demonstrations to full commercial deployment.
The project has received support from a combination of private investors and public funding, with BioBTX previously raising more than €80 million to commercialize the technology. Manufacturing of key process equipment has begun, with construction scheduled to start in early 2027 and commercial operations expected in mid-2028.
By commercializing renewable aromatics from plastic waste, BioBTX is advancing the transition toward a circular chemical industry. The PETRA facility is expected to demonstrate how difficult-to-recycle plastics can be transformed into valuable chemical building blocks, reducing dependence on fossil resources while supporting sustainable polymer and chemical manufacturing worldwide.