{"id":150839,"date":"2024-09-24T07:26:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-24T05:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=150839"},"modified":"2024-09-24T08:10:18","modified_gmt":"2024-09-24T06:10:18","slug":"schneider-electric-collaborates-with-gr3n-to-tackle-plastic-recycling-challenges-and-drive-circularity-in-chemical-sector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/schneider-electric-collaborates-with-gr3n-to-tackle-plastic-recycling-challenges-and-drive-circularity-in-chemical-sector\/","title":{"rendered":"Schneider Electric collaborates with GR3N to tackle plastic recycling challenges and drive circularity in chemical sector"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"746\" src=\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2024\/09\/Schneider-Electric-collaborates-with-GR3N-to-tackle-plastic-recycling-challenges-and-drive-circularity-in-chemical-sector-jpg_large.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-150851\" style=\"aspect-ratio:1.3404825737265416;width:308px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2024\/09\/Schneider-Electric-collaborates-with-GR3N-to-tackle-plastic-recycling-challenges-and-drive-circularity-in-chemical-sector-jpg_large.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2024\/09\/Schneider-Electric-collaborates-with-GR3N-to-tackle-plastic-recycling-challenges-and-drive-circularity-in-chemical-sector-jpg_large-300x224.jpg 300w, https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2024\/09\/Schneider-Electric-collaborates-with-GR3N-to-tackle-plastic-recycling-challenges-and-drive-circularity-in-chemical-sector-jpg_large-150x112.jpg 150w, https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2024\/09\/Schneider-Electric-collaborates-with-GR3N-to-tackle-plastic-recycling-challenges-and-drive-circularity-in-chemical-sector-jpg_large-768x573.jpg 768w, https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/media\/2024\/09\/Schneider-Electric-collaborates-with-GR3N-to-tackle-plastic-recycling-challenges-and-drive-circularity-in-chemical-sector-jpg_large-362x270.jpg 362w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u00a9 Schneider Electric<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>GR3N\u2019s breakthrough new process to address current hard to recycle PET waste while meeting virgin-like quality&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Together, companies are fostering innovation, driving circularity across the chemicals sector&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Schneider Electric\u2019s software-defined automation system enabling operational agility to scale from proof of concept to industrial level<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Schneider Electric, the&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/collection\/worlds-most-sustainable-companies-2024\/\" target=\"_blank\">world\u2019s most sustainable company<\/a>&nbsp;and leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has partnered with&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/gr3n-recycling.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">GR3N<\/a>,&nbsp;<a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/topics\/earth-and-planetary-sciences\/polyethylene-terephthalate#:~:text=Polyethylene%20terephthalate%20(PET)%20is%20a%20polymer%20produced%20through%20the%20polymerization,of%20packaging%20and%20textile%20production.\" target=\"_blank\">Polyethylene Terephthalate<\/a>&nbsp;(PET) chemical recycler, to create the first open automation system for the advanced plastic recycling industry.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.oecd.org\/en\/about\/news\/press-releases\/2022\/02\/plastic-pollution-is-growing-relentlessly-as-waste-management-and-recycling-fall-short.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">50% of global plastic waste ending up in landfills<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">only 9% recycled<\/a>, GR3N developed&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.petnology.com\/online\/news-detail\/gr3n-launches-industrial-demonstration-plant-for-its-microwave-assisted-depolymerization-made-recycling-technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">MADE<\/a>, the Microwave Assisted DEpolymerization solution. This new process breaks down PET into its chemical building blocks that can be recombined to create new PET pellets with virgin-like quality for packaging and textiles, effectively closing the loop for hard to recycle plastic. The technology is based on alkaline hydrolysis, and it can manage a higher amount of impurities compared to the existing ones.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In March 2024, GR3N successfully demonstrated MADE and the power of Schneider Electric\u2019s open automation technology,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.se.com\/uk\/en\/product-range\/23643079-ecostruxure-automation-expert\/#products\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">EcoStruxure Automation Expert<\/a>&nbsp;at its demonstration site in Italy. MADE plant is conceived to anticipate the usage of all the technologies that will be finally adopted for the first industrial-scale facility, foreseen to be installed in Spain and with an expected capacity of over 40.000 ton\/year of PET waste treated. The intrinsic modularity of GR3N\u2019s proprietary recycling process has allowed MADE to be the first plastic recycling plant to use the shared automation runtime managed by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/universalautomation.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Universal Automation<\/a>, based on the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/iec61499.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">IEC 61499 standard<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.se.com\/ww\/en\/insights\/next-generation-automation\/universal-automation\/software-defined-industrial-automation.jsp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The software-defined automation<\/a>&nbsp;system decouples hardware from software, allowing devices and equipment to be freely connected across architecture layers, regardless of manufacturer. It acts as the digital backbone of industrial operations at the plant, providing the foundation to make more informed decisions. This approach allows MADE to be also technological demonstration of a new generation of automation systems, where the intertwining between OT and IT enables the exploitation of advanced functionalities for operations management and data analytics.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cThrough software-defined automation and hardware independence, we have been able to effectively de-risk our operations and push the boundaries of our technology,\u201d said&nbsp;<strong>Fabio Silvestri, Head of Marketing and Business Development at GR3N<\/strong>. \u201cWe\u2019ve been able to reconfigure our systems quickly when we see opportunities to improve efficiency, while avoiding supply chain issues due the hardware agnostic nature of the system. This is what is needed to make advanced plastic recycling at reality at scale.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>Due to EcoStruxure Automation Expert\u2019s modular, agnostic nature, GR3N was able to choose the optimal technology for the demonstration plant and easily scale to new sites. Benefits include:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Industrial scalability \u2013 significantly minimizes the risk of investment during the scale-up of GR3N\u2019s technology towards the First of a Kind (FOAK) industrial plant, while offering a new way to protect its intellectual property as process licensor.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Design flexibility \u2013 vendor and hardware agnostic system enabled GR3N to design the best possible solution without being held back by vendor lock in or being impacted by supply chain issues.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Engineering time and time-to-market reduction \u2013 the modular design of control software, supported by digital continuity across the whole plant lifecycle with automation-focused decision making happening at conception, reduces human error at the development stage by 40%.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Control simplification \u2013 Vendor-independence allows controls to be distributed or centralized depending on need.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>New opportunities \u2013 OT\/IT integration provides new opportunities for efficiency and optimization across the whole value chain. thanks to a seamless incorporation of advanced data analytics techniques.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reduced costs \u2013 the software-defined approach to automation is expected to reduce engineering costs by 30%.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Next-gen workforce \u2013 attracts the next generation of workers with a systems that shared similarities with those in IT.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Global demand for plastics is expected&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.oecd.org\/en\/publications\/2022\/06\/global-plastics-outlook_f065ef59.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">to triple by 2060<\/a>, with the amount of plastics in the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wwf.org.uk\/myfootprint\/challenges\/will-there-be-more-plastic-fish-sea\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ocean predicted to outweigh fish<\/a>. Meeting demand and curbing pollution, while achieving net zero by 2050, requires a consumption model revolution.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The partnership between GR3N and Schneider Electric, that has started with the signature of a Memorandum of Understanding, will enable the chemical recycler to scale operations to new sites quickly and cost-effectively.&nbsp; The solution is expected to reach industrial scale by 2027 with the construction of a 35-40kta plant which will include the pre-treatment, depolymerization and repolymerization.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cEvery year, people produce around&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.oecd.org\/en\/topics\/sub-issues\/plastics.html#:~:text=Global%20plastics%20use%20has%20skyrocketed,plastic%20waste%20more%20than%20doubled.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">460 million tons of plastic<\/a>, approximately 70% of which are sent to landfills or mismanaged,\u201d said&nbsp;<strong>Christophe de Maistre, President Energy &amp; Chemicals, Industrial Automation at Schneider Electric<\/strong>.&nbsp;\u201cIf we want to overcome the scale of plastic waste, there are certain non-negotiables. We must see integration across the whole product cycle, modularization to optimize and standardize engineering processes, as well as software defined automation solutions that delivers scalability, break siloes and acts as a gateway to advanced analytics. This project with GR3N demonstrates all of these principles, improving flexibility, scalability and the efficiency of their solution and enabling them to grow to an industrial scale.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:10px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related resource<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Interview video from the Globuc Go Circular event, April 2024:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=2WxascBYosk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">How microwave-assisted PET recycling &#8211; interview with Delphine Largeteau, SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC (youtube.com)<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.se.com\/ww\/en\/insights\/post\/a-circular-economy-for-plastics-and-polymers\/\" target=\"_blank\">A Circular Economy for Plastics and Polymers | Schneider Electric (se.com)<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">About GR3N<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>GR3N developed an innovative process, based on the application of microwave technology to alkaline hydrolysis, which provides an economically viable approach to the recycling of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), allowing the industrial implementation.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The GR3N process is economically sustainable and industrially viable as it breaks down any type of PET and polyester plastic into its two core components (TPA and MEG monomers), which can then be re-assembled to obtain virgin-like plastics allowing endless recycling loops. This new process has the potential to change how PET is recycled worldwide, with huge benefits both for the recycling industry and for the entire polyester value chain. The company\u2019s goal is to become the world-leading supplier of recycled PET and polyester, addressing the global need for virgin plastics and triggering a truly circular approach to plastic recycling. GR3N is part of PETCORE Europe, Chemical Recycling Europe, and Accelerating Circularity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Schneider Electric, the&nbsp;world\u2019s most sustainable company&nbsp;and leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, has partnered with&nbsp;GR3N,&nbsp;Polyethylene Terephthalate&nbsp;(PET) chemical recycler, to create the first open automation system for the advanced plastic recycling industry.&nbsp; With&nbsp;50% of global plastic waste ending up in landfills&nbsp;and&nbsp;only 9% recycled, GR3N developed&nbsp;MADE, the Microwave Assisted DEpolymerization solution. This new [&#8230;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":150852,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"GR3N developed\u00a0MADE, Microwave Assisted DEpolymerization solution, which breaks down PET into its chemical building blocks that can be recombined to create new PET pellets with virgin-like quality","footnotes":""},"categories":[17143],"tags":[17202,10416,14007,11966,10453],"supplier":[18249,23367],"class_list":["post-150839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-recycling","tag-chemicalrecycling","tag-circulareconomy","tag-pet","tag-plastics","tag-recycling","supplier-gr3n-sa","supplier-schneider-electric"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150839","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=150839"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/150839\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/150852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=150839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=150839"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=150839"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=150839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}