Page 50 - Plastics News February 2017
P. 50
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
German recyclers fear proposed Iran in talks with Uhde over
regulation’s impact on shredding propylene technology
The European Union has set a 95% materials recycling Iran and Germany’s Uhde Company are currently in
target for end-of-life vehicles, and many auto talks over the licensing of a technology for propylene
shredder operators in Europe have shown a willingness production at Salman Farsi petrochemical complex,
to expand their sorting technology to try to help hit that currently under construction in the southern city
target.A proposed anti-pollution regulation in Germany, of Mahshahr. According to the head of the Iranian
however, has auto shredding plant operators worried that petrochemical guild, Ali Mohammad Rajali, Uhde and
ELV shredding could become a thing of the past in that another European company are holding talks with Iran
nation if strict new changes to the Technical Instruction to provide the technology for propane dehydrogenation
Air (TA Luft) become law. Regarding the proposed (PDH). The plant is expected to be completed by 2020
modifications to TA Luft, “The draft shows that this one and will provide the feedstock for nearby petrochemical
will be much more ambitious than the current valid complexes including Rejal, Marun and Navid-Zar
version. If the draft [becomes] reality, most shredders Chemie. Once completed, the €285m Salman Farsi
must shut down,” says Birgit Guschall-Jaik of Germany’s facility will produce 450,000 tonnes of propylene per
Federal Association for Secondary Raw Materials and year. Iran expects to expand polypropylene production
Waste Management (BVSE). She also says of the BVSE’s at its Rejal plant from 160,000 tonnes per annum to
reaction to the TA Luft proposal, “We are working on 220,000 tonnes, once feedstock supply is secured from
changing this.” A regulation that stifles shredding is likely Salman Farsi. Elsewhere, Iranian economic newspaper
to put the 95% target well out of reach, says Guschall- The Financial Tribute said on 31 January that the
Jaik, putting the new German law at odds with the EU state-owned National Petrochemical Company (NPC)
ELV directive. “Dismantlers and shredders have to achieve was in talks with France's Air Liquide global E&C
[the 95% target] together,” says Guschall-Jaik. “It's only Solutions (formerly Lurgi GmbH) over the construction
possible when you process the residues.” She continues, of a polypropylene production plant. “To complete
“Most of the shredders remove the metals from thelight the value chain of the petrochemical industry, NPC
fraction or treat the heavy fraction in a sink-float-plant. has set a tight schedule, which entails cooperation
All the German shredders send the rest to incinerators between Air Liquide and Iran’s Petrochemical Research
[or waste-to-energy plants]. Because the [incinerator/ and Technology Company in building a polypropylene
waste-to-energy] costs increased significantly in 2016, the unit in Iran,” said deputy head of NPC, Ali Mohammad
costs are a problem for all of the shredder operators.” Bosaqzadeh.
Advances toward the 95% target will involve more plastic
scrap separation and processing, says Guschall-Jaik, an
investment process that is starting to happen and is likely
to be accomplished by the types of large scrap companies
that own shredders
Plastics News | F e b r u a r y 2 0 1 7 50
