Update: GCA to build PET recycling plant in Ohio

PTTGC America (GCA),  the U.S. subsidiary of integrated petrochemical and refining conglomerate PTT Global Chemical Public Co. Ltd. of Thailand, has chosen a site at the Midwest Mega Commerce Center in southern Ohio’s Fayette County for a facility that will recycle polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles into pellets that can be made into new beverage bottles and other products.

GCA says it has reached an option agreement with Martin Land Co. allowing it to purchase land at the 2,300-acre commerce park on the east side of Interstate 71 near U.S. Route 35. (The Midwest Mega Commerce Center also is where Honda and LG Energy Solution are jointly developing a plant to manufacture batteries for Honda and Acura electric vehicles.) It is about 40 miles southeast of Columbus, Ohio, and 70 miles northeast of Cincinnati.

“Aligned with the Paris Agreement, GC Group aim[s] to reduce current CO2 emissions by 20 percent by 2030 as part of our journey toward achieving Net Zero by 2050,” says CEO Panod Awaiwanond. “This project illustrates our commitment to fight climate change and contribute to a circular economy. It also reaffirms our commitment to the U.S. and the state of Ohio.”

A spokesperson for GCA says the company conducted preliminary economic evaluations and site assessments in several states to select the location for the project, and "Ohio turned out to be the best fit" because it provides the company with access to feedstock and customers. He adds that the announcement of the Honda battery plant made it even more attractive.

"GCA has built a strong relationship within Ohio. JobsOhio, the DeWine administration, and Ohio’s local communities have always been excellent partners," he says.

The company has additional development plans in Ohio for a petrochemical complex in Belmont County’s Mead Township on the Ohio side of the Ohio River. Since September 2015, GCA has been investing in front-end engineering design work to determine the feasibility of the complex. The company says it has selected this location because it is within the Marcellus and Utica shale regions and offers access to major highway, rail, pipeline and port infrastructure that would increase efficiency while reducing the environmental and financial costs of transportation. The company says a final investment decision on the project has not been made.

The PET recycling project is in the study and preparation phase, according to GCA, which plans to purchase PET scrap primarily from material recovery facilities in Ohio and surrounding states. The spokesperson adds that GCA has a memorandum of understanding with Rumpke for supply and is in discussions with a number of other potential suppliers. "We expect the purchasing radius to be between 300 and 400 miles."

GCA says the plant will divert approximately 40,000 tons of plastic per year, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 50,000 tons of CO2-equivalent per year, a 79 percent reduction compared with the production of virgin PET from hydrocarbons. 

The spokesperson says the company expects to begin construction on the plant in 2024.

^*This article was updated June 14, 2023, to provide comments from a spokesperson for GCA.