— By Plasteurope.com staff — 

Ducor Petrochemicals (Rotterdam, Netherlands; www.ducorchem.com) and Blue Circle Olefins (Wageningen, Netherlands; www.bluecircle-olefins.com) have signed an agreement to collaborate on the production and co-marketing of segregated bio-polypropylene and carbon-recycled polypropylene.

The companies said the partnership is intended to support the development of a circular supply chain for PP used in sectors such as healthcare, life sciences, automotive, electrical appliances, packaging, engineering products, and household goods.

In a statement, Blue Circle Olefins CEO Ralph Koekkoek said the arrangement is an “important milestone” for the company’s methanol-to-olefins (MTO) project. The companies aim to provide a broad range of PP, including grades made with recycled or biobased propylene.

“Together with Blue Circle Olefins we are developing the entire value chain,” said Ducor Petrochemicals CEO Hanno Schouten. adding that the collaboration would enable customers to use fully circular PP in 2030.

Related: Ducor declares force majeure for polypropylene from Netherlands

Ducor Petrochemicals produces polypropylene for various applications, while Blue Circle Olefins is developing a 200,000 t/y MTO facility in Rotterdam, scheduled for start-up in 2030. The plant is to convert renewable methanol made from plastics waste or biomass residues into biobased and carbon-recycled olefins, with 120,000 t/y of propylene and 80,000 t/y of ethylene targeted.

The companies added that the approach can cut lifecycle greenhouse-gas emissions by more than 80% compared with conventional fossil-based polyolefins.