INEOS and Recuro to Build New 33,000-Tonne Advanced Chemical Recycling Facility in Norway

Industrial giant INEOS and Norwegian recycling company Recuro have signed an official memorandum of understanding to jointly develop a state-of-the-art advanced recycling facility. Located at INEOS’ existing polymer site in Bamble, Norway, and powered by 100% renewable energy, the “Full Circle” project aims to significantly reduce environmental footprints, meet the strictest EU packaging regulations, and put circular economy principles into practice in the plastics industry.

Processing 33,000 Tonnes of End-of-Life Plastic Waste Annually

Under the agreement, the new Norwegian plant is designed to process up to 33,000 metric tonnes of end-of-life plastic waste per year once commissioned. This significant capacity for secondary raw material production is a crucial step towards meeting the strict requirements of the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), ensuring a stable supply of recycled feedstocks essential for the industry across the continent.

An Environmentally Conscious and Economic Approach: The “Full Circle” Project

The investment bears the fitting name “Full Circle.” Engineers designed the project to combine ecological responsibility with strict economic viability. This is achieved by carrying out the chemical recycling of waste using the existing industrial infrastructure, land, and established services at the Bamble site. This strategic, integrated approach minimizes both investment and operational costs while drastically reducing the overall environmental footprint of the facility.

Advanced Pyrolysis Technology Powered by 100% Renewable Energy

The chemical recycling facility is designed to operate with minimal emissions, and its energy requirements will be met entirely by renewable Norwegian energy sources. The technological core of the breakdown and processing phase is advanced pyrolysis. This technology heats plastics in an oxygen-free environment at extremely high temperatures, breaking them down into simpler components—primarily oil, gas, and char.

This solution maximizes the recovery of carbon embedded in the processed plastic waste. A unique feature of the process is that both the oil and gas fractions are retained for further chemical use, rather than being diverted for simple energy generation (combustion). Since carbon is essential for producing the raw materials used in everyday modern products, keeping carbon-based materials in circulation is a key step in reducing the industry’s overall carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Virgin-Quality Recycled Polyethylene for Medical and Food Applications

The refined products recovered during the advanced pyrolysis process will be used by INEOS as feedstock at its nearby Rafnes cracker plant to produce recycled ethylene. This integrated industrial chain enables the Bamble plant to manufacture virgin-quality recycled polyethylene from this ethylene, meeting the European Union’s strictest quality and health regulatory requirements without compromise. These high-quality raw materials become suitable for the most demanding premium applications, such as food and medical packaging, ultimately representing a qualitative leap in improving the continent’s recycling rates.

Strategic Partnership and State Support Behind Industrial Innovation

In his statement, Arve Jakobsen, CEO of Recuro, highlighted the holistic approach of the agreement and the “Full Circle” project: “By reusing an existing industrial site, optimising infrastructure, and locating the plant next to a steam cracker facility, we can recover and reuse both oil and gas streams. This is circularity in its truest form.” Jakobsen added that this massive infrastructural development is a major milestone for Recuro, taking a huge step towards their goal of becoming a leading player in global plastic recycling.

The realization of this massive investment was made possible through a broad, cross-industry collaboration. Alongside INEOS and their technology partner Vixla, the industrial innovation is actively supported by the Norwegian government through its official economic development agency, Innovation Norway.

A Call to International Regulators for Industry Advancement

Regarding the announcement, Liz Rittweger, CEO of INEOS Olefins & Polymers Europe, emphasized that chemical and advanced recycling plays a critical role in expanding the potential of global plastics recycling and closing the production loop required for high-quality, high-performance applications. She stated that the newly announced investment in Bamble clearly reflects INEOS’ long-term commitment to making a low-carbon, circular economy a reality for both customers and wider society.

However, Rittweger also delivered an important message to European decision-makers: regulatory authorities must support this green endeavor with clear, transparent, and harmonized rules across Europe. There is a pressing need for a stable legislative environment that officially recognizes the outputs of advanced recycling, creates long-term legal certainty for industry players, and thereby provides international investors with the financial confidence to invest in new climate protection technologies on an even larger scale in the future.

References and Sources:

• Original Official Announcement (INEOS website): INEOS and Recuro sign memorandum of understanding to construct advanced recycling facility in Norway

• Official Website of the Supporting Norwegian State Agency: Innovation Norway