This article was published on June 3, 2024

The company wants to put old plastic to good use

A Dutch startup has devised a way to convert mountains of plastic waste into chemicals essential for the production of a wide range of goods, from bottles to batteries.

BioBTX has patented the process — known as Integrated Cascading Catalytic Pyrolysis — and just secured €80mn to scale it up.

Armed with the fresh funds, the company will build a factory in Groningen capable of converting 20,000 tonnes of plastic waste a year into chemicals like benzene, toluene, and xylene . Scientists refer to these hydrocarbons as aromatic compounds due to their unique smell.

Aromatics form the building blocks of the chemicalindustry. Everything from drugs to nylon clothing and wind turbine blades make us of aromatic compounds.

While the chemicals occur in nature, most are made by humans using crude oil. By turning plastic waste into a resource, BioBTX wants to reduce the amount of oil that needs to be pumped out of the ground, slashing emissions.

The chemicals manufacturer has been operating a demonstration facility at the PETRA Circular Chemicals Plant in Delfzijl, the Netherlands, since April 2022. Last year, it partnered with Norwegian recycling company Agilyx to explore the possibility of opening a much bigger factory, which is now under development.

BioBTX is tapping a huge market. Global demand for benzene alone was valued at $46bn in 2023, and is expected to almost double by 2031.

Perhaps that’s how the startup managed to secure such a sizeable investment, despite the currently challenging funding environment .

“This funding is a crucial step in creating a sustainable pathway for the chemical industry — and we are excited to take the lead from Groningen,” said Ton Vries, CEO of BioBTX.

The €80mn investment round includes backing from Invest-NL, private equity investor Infinity Recycling, and German chemical firm Covestro. The Dutch government also added €14mn to the pot, in a show of state support for the technology.

Siôn is a freelance science and technology reporter, specialising in climate and energy. From nuclear fusion breakthroughs to electric vehic (show all) Siôn is a freelance science and technology reporter, specialising in climate and energy. From nuclear fusion breakthroughs to electric vehicles, he's happiest sourcing a scoop, investigating the impact of emerging technologies, and even putting them to the test. He has five years of journalism experience and holds a dual degree in media and environmental science from the University of Cape Town, South Africa. When he's not writing, you can probably find Siôn out hiking, surfing, playing the drums or catering to his moderate caffeine addiction. You can contact him at: sion.geschwindt [at] protonmail [dot] com