Page 22 - Plastics News April 2022

Indorama To Invest $8 Billion In Chemical Recycling And More

be a new chapter of advanced recycling feedstock per year by 2025. That goal
and bio-renewable feedstock,” Lohia was announced three years ago. Now,
told ICIS. “For bio-based and advanced Indorama is at about 400,000 tons of
recycling, the scale is just not there yet. recycled feedstock per year, Lohia said in
I take this as my personal challenge to the article, which is on track to meeting
deliver on this, and we are prepared to its goal, “but today this is only 2% of
invest $8 billion from now to 2030.” feedstock. We want to get that to 25%
The terms “chemical recycling” and by 2030 – that’s the big milestone.”
“advanced recycling” generally refer In the past several years, the company
to a wide array of processes that use purchased Athens, Ala.-based Custom
lobal PET producer Indorama heat, pressure and solvents to break Polymers PET and Fontana, Calif.-
Gis going to spend $8 billion over down the molecular chains of polymers based Green Fiber International. After
the next eight years to help scale up into liquids or gases that can then be the acquisition of Custom Polymer
chemically recycled and bio-based processed into fuels, oils, waxes, new PET, Indorama invested over $50
plastics. According to an Independent plastics, or other chemical products. million in the plant. In 2019, Indorama
Commodity Intelligence Services story, Lohia said Indorama plans to “scan also formed a joint venture with Loop
Aloke Lohia, CEO of Indorama, said the world for those developing these Industries, a Canadian PET chemical
the investment was needed to meet the technologies, and can offer our sites for recycling startup. Called Indorama Loop
company’s target of having 25% of its them to experiment.” The company has Technologies, the company is planning
feedstock come via sustainable sources also invested $1.5 billion into increasing to build a depolymerization unit at
by 2030. “Mechanical recycling will its levels of recycled PET feedstock, after Indorama’s PET production facility in
continue, but the big game changer will setting a goal of 700,000 tons of recycled Spartanburg, S.C.

22 PLASTICS NEWS April 2022