ORLEN Unipetrol produced certified renewable polypropylene from waste vegetable oil

Waste vegetable oil recycling is one of the projects addressed by the researchers in the Litvínov refinery. After initial tests, they have now launched operating tests of adding a bio material – hydrogenated vegetable oil (HVO) – to the production process at the steam cracker.

"The petrochemical segment is a key area of our sustainable development, based on low-emission and zero-emission energy sources and waste materials previously unused. This project is a great example of our efforts to meet these goals. It is an exemplary cooperation of a number of experts within our group in the field of development, production and trade, including the involvement of our customers, who provide us with valuable feedback," said Tomasz Wiatrak, CEO of ORLEN Unipetrol.

The first tests of the use of HVO in the production process were carried out at the steam cracker in Litvínov in 2020 and 2021. “And they were successful. We verified that HVO could be processed. That is why we could continue the tests in 2021 and start the process certification for this production procedure to produce this renewable material precisely under the legislative standards. We received the internationally recognized certification in November last year. We carried out another production, now fully certified test, at the end of the year. Thus, we produced the first dose of the certified plastic – polypropylene. This so-called bio-circular material has the same quality as the material made of a fossil raw material. We can use this method to produce polypropylene, polyethylene, ethylene, and benzene,” explains Martin Rùžièka, Director of development, technologies and efficiency of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group.

The produced polypropylene will be used in subsequent research and tests with selected customers who will provide their valuable observations. The customers must also pass the certification to ensure that the entire process is compliant with the defined legislative standards. Thus, the final product produced from bio-circular ORLEN Unipetrol petrochemicals will be a certified bio-circular product. 

“We are very excited about this new mass balanced opportunity, especially given the critical importance of the high need for viable sustainable solutions for nonwoven fabrics. We have a longstanding partnership with Unipetrol, and we are pleased that this is another product development that we can commercialize,” said Tonny de Beer, Chief Product, Technology & Sustainability Officer, PFNonwovens Group.

“We produced 95 tonnes of certified material out of 100 tonnes of the input feedstock. Now, we are ready to process up to 5,000 tonnes of hydrogenated vegetable oil per year. We will soon be able to process up to 10,000 tonnes yearly. Eventually, we expect to process up to 100,000 tonnes of the alternative feedstock per year. We want to start processing another input material in the future. The plastic waste recycled material is now closest to being certified,” concludes Martin Rùžièka. 

ORLEN Unipetrol is active in research in the field of circular economics and recycling. Besides HVO processing, the Group is also testing the chemical recycling using the principles of pyrolysis or thermal degradation under high temperatures. This is a highly effective technology for the repeated use of waste raw materials. The technology can exploit the initial waste and convert it to hydrocarbons, reintegrating them into petrochemical production. This method enables the more effective use of the existing waste and significantly reduces the carbon footprint. In 2021, ORLEN Unipetrol researchers commissioned a test pyrolysis plastic waste recycling unit. 

ORLEN Unipetrol wants the recycled and renewable sources to contribute to up to 20 per cent of the manufacture of its petrochemical products by 2030. The key petrochemical products of the Group are polyethylene under the Liten brand that is referring to the city of Litvínov and polypropylene under the Mosten brand referring to the cities of Most, i.e. the cities between which the production area of ORLEN Unipetrol is located.