A company called 245Recycle LLC is in the planning stages for a chemical recycling facility for plastics to be located somewhere on the Texas Gulf Coast.
The Houston-based company plans to use pyrolysis technology developed by Lummus Technology LLC, the company said.
"We have selected a site and are negotiating terms for locating our facility in the greater Houston area," CEO Robert Sawchuk said in an email interview. "245Recycle is in active negotiations with potential funding sources with the intent of making a final investment decision in 2024."
The company said it expects to begin operations in 2027. Capacity at the facility to be owned and operated by 245Recycle will be 400 tons per day, the company said.
Pyrolysis uses heat and pressure in the absence of oxygen to break down used plastics, resulting in both a gas that can be used to continuing operating the facility and an oil that can then be used to make new products.
"Partnering with Lummus on our first facility is a significant milestone in our mission to improve circularity for operators in the downstream energy industry," Sawchuk said in a statement.
Other Lummus partners have included TotalEnergies at a site in LaPorte, Texas, and Citroniq LLC for four future plants in the U.S.