Neste, Alterra and Technip Energies collaborate to offer standardized solution to build chemical recycling plants

Neste Corporation, Press Release, 4 November 2024 at 7.00 p.m. (EET)



Photo: Alterra’s Akron Plant in Ohio, 2024. Source: Alterra

• The partners aim to globally offer a standardized modular solution, based on Alterra’s proprietary discarded plastic liquefaction technology, to parties interested in building capacity for chemical recycling.
• Alterra and Neste will serve as technology providers, Technip Energies to design, engineer and deliver standardized plant solutions.

Neste, Alterra and Technip Energies have signed a collaboration agreement to advance the circularity of plastics by providing the industry a standardized technology solution for chemical recycling, also referred to as “advanced recycling”. The partners aim to globally offer a standardized modular solution, based on Alterra’s proprietary liquefaction technology, to parties interested in building capacity for chemical recycling. This solution will come in the form of readily designed and engineered liquefaction plant modules, which will allow for lower pre-investment costs, accelerated implementation time, high predictability on project economics and reduced overall capital costs. Contributing to more effective execution of chemical recycling capacity projects, the solution helps the industry to reduce dependency on virgin fossil resources and accelerate the circularity of polymers and chemicals.

Alterra’s technology is a thermochemical liquefaction process, which converts hard-to-recycle plastics into a liquid hydrocarbon product. This liquid intermediate product can then be further refined into high-quality raw materials for new plastics and chemicals. As of today, Neste alone has processed more than 6,000 tons of plastic-derived feeds, including ISCC PLUS certified oil from Alterra’s industrial-scale site in Akron, Ohio.

Combining the expertise of three companies in one solution

Alterra and Neste started collaborating in chemical recycling in 2021, jointly improving aspects of Alterra’s technology and creating respective value chains. Alterra and Technip Energies started their collaboration in chemical recycling in 2022. The three companies now join efforts in a unique endeavor: Alterra and Neste will license the liquefaction technology and Technip Energies will design, engineer and deliver the standardized liquefaction plant solution to interested parties globally.

“We have a proven technology for liquefaction that encompasses 15 years of research, development and improvement,” says Frederic Schmuck, Chief Executive Officer at Alterra Energy. “Now we are reducing the hurdles for companies interested in investing in liquefaction. We are ultimately enabling a copy-paste solution for liquefaction plants, allowing for a fast scale-up of economically viable recycling capacities globally.”

“There is strong demand for more sustainable solutions, and we are ready to serve this demand,” says Andreas Teir, who is in charge of chemical recycling at Neste. “We have already established our role in processing circular feedstocks into high-quality raw materials for the petrochemicals industry, and our ambition is to grow these processed volumes over the upcoming months and years. We are therefore looking forward to offering a robust and easy-to-deploy liquefaction technology to also contribute to meeting our own increasing demand for liquefied waste plastic.”

“We have seen a recent trend in the circularity market wanting lower pre-investment costs and proven, in-use technology, while allowing adopters to maintain their 2030 climate commitments,” says Bhaskar Patel, SVP Sustainable Fuels, Chemicals & Circularity at Technip Energies. “We look forward to supporting the market with Alterra’s proven technology, improved with Neste, and our standard modular solution, both seen as key enablers for scalable projects. We are confident that this solution, along with Neste’s brand power and expected increasing demand for liquefied waste plastic, will contribute to fast deployment of new chemical recycling capacity.”

Neste Corporation

Hanna Maula
Vice President, Communications and Brand

Further information:

Neste: Please contact Neste's media service, tel. +358 800 94025 / media@neste.com (weekdays from 8.30 a.m. to 4.00 p.m. EET). Please subscribe to Neste’s releases at https://www.neste.com/for-media/releases-and-news/subscribe. 

Alterra: For media enquiries, please contact Valerio Coppini valerio.coppini@alterraenergy.com. 

Technip: For enquiries, please contact Annette Morgan at annette.morgan@ten.com 

Neste in brief

Neste (NESTE, Nasdaq Helsinki) uses science and innovative technology to transform waste and other resources into renewable fuels and circular raw materials. The company creates solutions for combating climate change and accelerating a shift to a circular economy. Being the world’s leading producer of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and renewable diesel and a forerunner in developing renewable and circular feedstock solutions for polymers and chemicals, the company aims to help its customers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 20 million tons annually by 2030.

The company’s ambition is to make the Porvoo oil refinery in Finland the most sustainable refinery in Europe. Neste is committed to reaching carbon-neutral production by 2035, and will reduce the carbon emission intensity of sold products by 50% by 2040. Neste has also set high standards for biodiversity, human rights and the supply chain. The company has consistently been included in the CDP and the DJSI lists of the world’s most sustainable companies. In 2023, Neste's revenue stood at EUR 22.9 billion. Read more: neste.com 

Alterra in brief 

Alterra is the developer, operator, and licensor of a thermochemical liquefaction process technology that renews discarded plastic back into its original building blocks, thus minimize reliance on new, fossil-derived materials for the manufacturing of new plastic products. Our Akron, OH plastics circularity facility is the only full-scale, continuous plant of its kind. Through the global deployment of our technology, we are Solving Plastic Pollution®. Read more: https://alterraenergy.com/

About Technip Energies

Technip Energies is a leading Engineering & Technology company for the energy transition, with leadership positions in LNG, hydrogen and ethylene as well as growing market positions in blue and green hydrogen, sustainable chemistry and CO₂ management. The Company benefits from its robust project delivery model supported by an extensive technology, products and services offering.

Operating in 34 countries, our 16,000 people are fully committed to bringing our clients’ innovative projects to life, breaking boundaries to accelerate the energy transition for a better tomorrow.

Technip Energies shares are listed on Euronext Paris. In addition, Technip Energies has a Level 1 sponsored American Depositary Receipts (“ADR”) program, with its ADRs trading over the counter. For further information: www.ten.com