MOL of Hungary commits to chemical recycling project

Houston-based Lummus Technology has started work on the design phase of a pyrolysis-based chemical recycling facility for mixed plastics in cooperation with the MOL Group of Hungary.

Lummus is a global provider of process and energy creation technologies, while the MOL Group is an integrated oil and gas company operating in Central and Eastern Europe and also provides waste management services in Hungary.

The plant, to be known as the Lummus Advanced Waste Plastic Recycling unit, will be located at an MOL Petrochemicals site in Tiszaújváro, Hungary. The companies say it will have a processing capacity of 40,000 tons of mixed waste plastics per year and will produce petrochemical building blocks that MOL will process in its petrochemical facility.

The plant include an electric-powered pyrolysis reactor that the companies say will result in zero direct Scope 1 emissions from the unit during normal operation.

“This is another milestone for Lummus and MOL Group and a significant step toward increasing the circularity of our industry,” Lummus Technology President and CEO Leon de Bruyn says. “We are leveraging Lummus’ innovative technology and MOL’s operational excellence to further our joint commitment [to] providing sustainable solutions that address global plastic waste challenges.”

MOL's chemical recycling of plastics is part of its commitment to collect close to 5 million metric tons of municipal solid waste (MSW), including the treatment and related investments.

Through the planned facility, MOL says it will be able to offer a wide range of sustainable compounds for various industries, including the automotive, construction, building and packaging sectors.

“The chemical industry will also play an important role in kick-starting the circular economy and accelerating the smart transition,” says Gabriel Szabó, executive vice president of downstream at MOL Group. “This is why MOL Group has been paying special attention to this area for years, with increasing results.

“With the construction of a pyrolysis plant with a capacity of 40,000 tons, we are taking a very important step forward in the field of plastics recycling. Lummus pyrolysis technology will enable us to transform plastic waste into high-value chemicals and raw materials, providing a new response to the challenges of waste management. This collaboration demonstrates our industrial competitiveness and our commitment to a sustainable future.”

This project is part of a partnership Lummus and MOL announced in 2023 to deploy chemical recycling facilities at MOL sites in Hungary and Slovakia. The Lummus Green Circle business unit will provide MOL pyrolysis technology the companies say effectively converts plastic scrap into high-value chemicals and feedstocks, creating circularity.

According to the firms, Lummus also will provide its experience and expertise in steam cracking, catalytic cracking and residue processing technology to ensure that integration with MOL’s existing assets is optimized.