Lummus Technology, a global provider of process technologies, and MOL Group, a leading Central Eastern European oil and gas company, have announced the commencement of the design phase for the first Lummus Advanced Waste Plastic Recycling unit. This landmark project signifies a crucial step towards a more circular economy and a sustainable future. The first plant will be strategically located at MOL Petrochemicals Co. Ltd. in Tiszaújváro, Hungary. This facility will boast a processing capacity of 40,000 tons of mixed waste plastics per annum, transforming them into valuable circular petrochemical building blocks. These building blocks will then be processed by MOL in their petrochemical facility, demonstrating a closed-loop approach to resource management.
The plant is designed with cutting-edge greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction elements, including a fully electric pyrolysis reactor, ensuring zero direct scope 1 emissions during normal operation. This commitment to environmental responsibility underscores the project’s contribution to a cleaner and greener future.
“This is another milestone for Lummus and MOL Group, and a significant step towards increasing the circularity of our industry,” stated , President and CEO of Lummus Technology. “We are leveraging Lummus’ innovative technology and MOL’s operational excellence to further our joint commitment of providing sustainable solutions that address global plastic waste challenges.”
Chemical recycling of plastics aligns with MOL’s broader commitment to collecting nearly 5 million tonnes of municipal solid waste, encompassing treatment and related investments. This initiative emphasizes MOL’s dedication to circularity and its recent investments in addressing waste plastics recycling in Hungary. As a result, MOL will be able to offer a diverse 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,” explained Gabriel Szabó, Executive Vice President of Downstream, 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 builds upon the partnership Lummus and MOL established in 2023, focused on deploying and integrating chemical recycling of plastics at MOL’s assets in Hungary and Slovakia. Lummus’ Green Circle business unit is providing MOL with advanced waste plastic pyrolysis technology, which effectively converts plastic waste into high-value chemicals and feedstocks, creating a closed-loop system. This proven, reliable, and economically attractive solution addresses the pressing global plastic waste problem, offering additional environmental benefits, such as a lower carbon footprint and the elimination of char production.
To ensure seamless integration with MOL’s existing assets, Lummus will contribute its extensive experience and expertise in steam cracking, catalytic cracking, and residue processing technology. Green Circle, a key division within Lummus Technology, focuses on capturing new opportunities within the energy transition and circular economy. Green Circle is a leader in providing economically and technically sound solutions, including: processing solid wastes containing plastics; processing various renewable bio-based feedstocks to value-added chemicals, polymers, and fuels; decarbonizing refinery and petrochemicals assets; and expanding production of blue hydrogen and biofuels.
Lummus Technology is a global leader in developing technology solutions that enhance modern life and prioritize a more sustainable, low-carbon future. The company licenses process technologies in clean fuels, renewables, petrochemicals, polymers, gas processing, and offers lifecycle services, catalysts, proprietary equipment, and digitalization solutions to customers worldwide.
MOL Group is an international, integrated oil, gas, petrochemicals, and consumer retail company headquartered in Budapest, Hungary. The company is active in over 30 countries with a dynamic international workforce of 25,000 people and boasts a track record spanning over 100 years. MOL Group operates three refineries and two petrochemicals plants under integrated supply chain management in Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania, and owns a network of almost 2400 service stations across 10 countries in Central & South Eastern Europe. MOL’s exploration and production activities are backed by more than 85 years of experience in hydrocarbons and 30 years in CO2 injection. The company currently has production activities in 9 countries and exploration assets in 14 countries. MOL is committed to transforming its traditional fossil-fuel-based operations into a low-carbon, sustainable business model, aiming to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2050 while actively shaping the low-carbon circular economy in Central and Eastern Europe.
