Saudi Arabia has effectively transformed oil obtained from plastic trash into certified circular polymers, marking the first such significant accomplishment in the Middle East and North Africa region.
According to a release, the oil made from plastic trash, also known as plastic pyrolysis oil, was processed at the Saudi Aramco Total Refining and Petrochemical facility in Jubail. TotalEnergies and Saudi Aramco are both joint owners of the refinery.
Petrokemya, an offshoot of the chemical manufacturer SABIC with headquarters in Riyadh, used the refinery to create circular polymers.
The method helps to address and combat the problem of end-of-life plastics since it permits the use of polymers that are difficult to physically recycle because they are not separated.
Aramco’s President of Downstream Mohammed Al-Qahtani stated “This achievement illustrates the importance of the petrochemical sector in creating more sustainable products and solutions.”
“By leveraging (the) spare capacity of existing infrastructure, we aim to produce circular products that could be scaled up at low cost,” Al Qahtani added.
He disclosed that Aramco is looking at a number of approaches to use current resources and new technology in an effort to support the adoption of circular, more environmentally friendly and lower-carbon products.
The project has obtained International Sustainability and Carbon Certification + certification, an independent multi-stakeholder initiative system supporting sustainable, fully traceable, and climate-friendly supply chains, in an effort to ensure transparency and traceability of the recycled origin of feedstock and products.
Bernard Pinatel, President of Refining and Chemicals at TotalEnergies, emphasized that this project is in line with the company's intention to directly address the issue of plastics' end-of-life.
“It is a major pathway towards TotalEnergies’ target to produce 30 percent of circular polymers by 2030, and its strategy to build a multi-energy company with the ambition to get to net-zero by 2050, together with society,” Stated Pinatel.
According to Sami Al-Osaimi, Executive Vice President of Petrochemicals at SABIC, the project also fits in well with the company's objective to reduce landfill and incineration through innovation, expertise, and cutting-edge technology.
“This project shows collaboration across the petrochemical value chain to overcome upstream and downstream challenges in circular plastics,” Al-Osaimi added.
SABIC and TotalEnergies are both founding members of the non-profit Alliance to End Plastic Waste, which aims to pool its knowledge, resources, and expertise to address the current waste management concerns.