World’s First Industrial-Scale Green Methanol-to-Plastics Facility to Be Established in Belgium

E-methanol produced from biogenic carbon dioxide and renewable hydrogen is considered a renewable fuel or a renewable fuel of non-biological origin (RFNBO). Lummus Technology LLC, a U.S.-based global provider of process technologies and value-driven energy solutions, announced that Vioneo has selected its Novolen polypropylene (PP) technology for a new plant in Antwerp, Belgium.

Vioneo is part of the parent company A.P. Moller Holding of the A.P. Moller Group, aiming to lead the sustainable transformation of the plastics industry by producing fossil-free polypropylene and polyethylene using green methanol on a commercial scale.

The first factory is located at the Port of Antwerp in Belgium and will use green methanol to produce approximately 200,000 tons of fossil-free virgin plastics annually. It will use 100% separated green propylene and ethylene as raw materials to produce various grades of polypropylene.

The factory will become part of the Vioneo integrated facility, which, once completed, will be the world's first industrial-scale fossil-free plastic production integrated facility. The facility will also be highly electrified, with renewable electricity and renewable hydrogen as key components of its operations.

With high-purity raw materials and mature technology, polypropylene will become a direct substitute for fossil-based materials.

The produced plastic will be fully traceable and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions will be negative, allowing customers to reduce their Scope 3 emissions.

Vioneo CEO Alex Hogan stated that Vioneo is driving the transformation of the plastics industry, demonstrating that large-scale clean production using green methanol-derived raw materials is economically feasible.

Verified technology

Lummus is responsible for technology licensing, process design packages, support during the front-end engineering design phase, and ongoing catalyst supply during operations.

Lummus's Novolen PP technology is part of the "Verdene" technology suite, which is a mature technology used by sustainable polymer producers to produce fully bio-based polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, and superabsorbent polymers using bio-based raw materials.

“We have partnered with Lummus Technology to license their leading Novolen polypropylene technology for our Antwerp plant, which is fundamental to realizing this vision,” said Alex Hogan. “This world’s first plant will utilize industrially proven methanol-to-olefins technology and fully certified green propylene and ethylene to produce a variety of high-quality, single-use biopolypropylene grades, significantly advancing the sustainable plastics economy.”

The kit offers a reduction to net-negative carbon dioxide emissions due to the carbon sequestration of carbon dioxide within the polymer itself. The function of this polymer is the same as that of polymers produced from traditional hydrocarbon sources.

"Vioneo's goal is to deliver the world's first non-fossil polypropylene plastic facility, which is a bold and ambitious goal that we are honored to support," said Leon de Bruyn, President and CEO of Lummus Technology. "Our proven polypropylene polymerization technology will enable Vioneo to produce high-performance single-use polypropylene through a low-emission process without compromising quality or flexibility."