The plastic recycling industry is set to gain a brand-new supply channel for pyrolysis feedstock. WPU, an affiliate of global energy and commodities giant Vitol Group, has officially selected Sulzer’s PyroCon™ pyrolysis condensation technology and supporting engineering services for its new chemical recycling project in the Netherlands. According to WPU, upon completion, the facility will process 80,000 tonnes of mixed waste plastic annually, converting low-value waste plastics into high-quality recyclable chemical feedstocks.

Turning Waste Plastics into Recyclable Liquid Feedstock via Gas-to-Liquid Pyrolysis Conversion

WPU’s new recycling plant is located at the Port of Rotterdam, adjacent to Vitol’s VPR Refinery, enabling large-scale, batch processing capacity for waste plastics. The facility adopts WPU proprietary technology: solid waste plastics are cracked into pyrolysis gas under high-temperature pyrolysis. Sulzer’s core PyroCon™ technology then cools and condenses the oil and gas vapours generated from pyrolysis, ultimately producing liquid recycled feedstock suitable for manufacturing brand-new plastic products.

Beyond core process technology, Sulzer will deliver full-process supporting engineering services and supply a complete set of skid-mounted modular integrated units to facilitate efficient project delivery. Basic engineering design for the project was successfully completed in Q1 2026, with the first batch of skid-mounted equipment scheduled for delivery in Q1 2027; overall project progress is advancing steadily.

Tom Baker, Global Naphtha Head and Middle East Regional Head at Vitol Group, commented: “Plastic pollution is a global industry-wide challenge. Large-scale chemical recycling via pyrolysis stands among the most viable solutions available today. Our partnership with Sulzer to deliver this new plant in Rotterdam aims to supply consistent high-quality recycled feedstock to the global plastics sector and complete the industrial chain for a circular plastic economy.”