{"id":163397,"date":"2025-05-23T07:29:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-23T05:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/?p=163397"},"modified":"2025-05-23T12:54:07","modified_gmt":"2025-05-23T10:54:07","slug":"the-transition-to-green-chemistry-circularity-is-a-team-sport","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/the-transition-to-green-chemistry-circularity-is-a-team-sport\/","title":{"rendered":"The transition to green chemistry: ‘Circularity is a team sport’"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

The fact that fossil fuels are running out is no longer a surprise. Sustainable fuels will replace gasoline and diesel in the future, and energy will increasingly come from renewable sources such as the sun, wind, or water. But what about chemicals? They are indispensable in producing materials for packaging, clothing, paint, and all kinds of other products. Chemicals are still often made from fossil oil, but this must and can be done differently. In the north of the Netherlands, much attention is being paid to making the chemical industry more sustainable. Various scaleups are building factories there to recycle plastic and make indispensable chemicals more sustainably.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The focus on green<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEemshaven was built in the seventies as an overflow location for the petrochemical industry from Rotterdam, but was hardly ever used for that purpose due to the oil crisis at the time. That is why the region, compared to the four other chemical clusters in the Netherlands, has little petrochemical industry, such as oil refineries\u201d, says Henri Kats, investment manager at the North Netherlands Development Agency<\/a> (NOM).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to Delfzijl and Emmen, Rotterdam\/Moerdijk, Terneuzen\/Bergen op Zoom, and Geleen (Chemelot) also have a chemical cluster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis history allows the north of the Netherlands to focus on green chemistry. For example, we are working on salt and chlorine chemistry, and also looking for connections with farming when it comes to biomass as a raw material for chemistry. There are many large agricultural companies located in the region, so that is a nice link. In addition, circular plastics and Carbon Capture and Usage (CCU) are also important themes,\u201d Kats<\/strong> outlines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opportunities for entrepreneurs<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This offers opportunities for the \u2013 often relatively young \u2013 businesses that want to focus on making the chemical industry more sustainable. The list of companies is impressive. CuRe Technology<\/a> is developing a technology to recycle plastic that is difficult to recycle. Circtec<\/a> is building the world’s largest factory for the chemical recycling of car tires. BioBTX<\/a> will recycle plastic waste to produce Benzene, Toluene, and Xylene (BTX) \u2013 also known as aromatics \u2013 from waste plastics. And EEW \u2013 Energy from Waste Delfzijl<\/a> will provide thermal processing for waste that cannot be reused. They all receive support from the NOM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long lead-up<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

All these companies are now on the verge of scaling up their technology and bringing it to market. This is an important step that does not happen by itself. It is difficult to compete with the existing petrochemical industry; all entrepreneurs agree on that. \u201cThis industry has had a hundred years to optimize the process and can now supply relatively cheap products. We have only been doing research for 15 years,\u201d says Tijmen Vries, director of strategic development at BioBTX.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Companies introducing new materials need a long lead time, often around ten to twenty years. Even then, the products are often more expensive in the early years than the optimized fossil oil products. \u201cWe have to compete with cheap plastic from Asia that is made from fossil oil,\u201d says Josse Kunst, chief commercial officer (CCO) of CuRe Technology. What’s more, Cirtec also suffers from the different waste treatment standards, says Pieter ter Haar, director of sustainable carbonaceous materials at Cirtec. \u201cWe want to process materials such as car tires sustainably and circularly, while in countries like India, they are simply burned in the open air, with all the consequences this entails for people’s health and the environment. That can be frustrating at times.\u201d Partly due to these differences, several recycling companies have already gone out of business.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Josse
\u00a9 CuRe <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

CuRe Technology finds solution for difficult-to-recycle plastic<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Emmen-based CuRe Technology is developing a technology to reuse polyester<\/a>, which is difficult to recycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a>Financing is complicated<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A lot of time and money are needed to make chemistry more sustainable. Who is going to pay for this? That is the most critical question, says Ter Haar. \u201cInvestors often want to earn their investment back quickly and mainly look at the profitability of a project.\u201d Vries also recognizes that it is challenging to finance innovations in green chemistry. \u201cWe see that investors often don’t dare to take enough risks. Fortunately, we have now been able to solve this problem ourselves.\u201d BioBTX recently raised an investment of 80 million euros<\/a> to construct its first factory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vries: \u201dThe NOM was among the first parties to invest in BioBTX. This investment will allow us to develop the technology further and give other investors confidence. That is very valuable.\u201d The NOM was also a significant investor for Circtec in the run-up to the completion of the most recent investment round of \u20ac150 million for constructing the factory in Delfzijl.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Tijmen<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

BioBTX builds first plant for sustainable aromatics in Groningen<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Last year, BioBTX raised \u20ac80 million to build the first plant<\/a> for renewable aromatics in Delfzijl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The government plays an important role<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ter Haar of Circtec sees a vital role for the government in supporting companies that want to become more sustainable. \u201cThe government must ensure supportive and, above all, stable legislation, which is often not the case now. Dutch politics is not always reliable, and laws and regulations change often. That also influences the investment climate.\u201d More support from the government is also a wish of Wilfred de Jager, director of EEW – Energy From Waste Delfzijl. \u201cThe government is now opting for a policy that punishes companies that do not work circularly with tax measures. It would be better if the government chose to stimulate circularity, for example, by subsidizing the demand for recycled raw materials over virgin materials. That would stimulate the market and ensure recycling companies can earn a living. Ultimately, they will then be able to compete on price with raw materials.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kats also believes that green chemistry is not currently being given a fair chance. \u201cThe fossil industry can produce at a lower cost, and that is what consumers ultimately choose. However, the social costs, such as the consequences of climate change, are not included. If legislators take steps to allow the tax on the environment to be factored into prices, green chemistry will have a fairer chance,\u201d says the NOM investment manager.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Pieter
\u00a9 Circtec<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Circtec builds the world’s largest tire recycling plant<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Circtec is building the world’s largest chemical recycling plant<\/a> for car tires in Groningen. It will open at the end of the summer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Waste status under discussion<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

One of the specific government regulations standing in the way of entrepreneurs is the waste status of materials. Waste has a particular status under the law, and companies must pay to dispose of certain substances. \u201cIn principle, this rule encourages companies to reuse as much as possible. But if a product already has waste status and it later turns out that it can still be used as a raw material, it is difficult to get rid of the waste status,\u201d says Kats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Companies then have to go through an extensive and lengthy process with the municipality to get the material’s waste status removed. \u201cIn a circular economy, waste doesn’t exist. Municipalities need to be more flexible in thinking along with entrepreneurs,\u201d says Kats. Circtec has had to deal with such a process regarding the car tires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

EEW Delfzijl is also looking for clarity. \u201cAlmost all the products we make here have a waste status. That does not help us with sales opportunities. Sometimes we can only use a product in a lower application area (downcycling), while it could also be used in a higher segment (upcycling). The waste status says nothing about the quality of the material.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Wilfred<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

From waste to energy: EEW gets closer to circular economy<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

EEW – Energy from Waste Delfzijl incinerates non-recyclable waste<\/a> and converts it into energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Strong network<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The entrepreneurs face many challenges. \u201cSometimes it feels like we have to overcome not just bumps, but entire hills and mountains. Once we have succeeded, we will have taken a very important step in the greening of chemistry,\u201d says Vries of BioBTX. Kunst (CuRe Technology) also remains positive. \u201cIn innovation, you sometimes need a little positive optimism. We just have to get started, stay focused, and find good partners.\u201d These partners are an indispensable part of any business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The NOM is very active in building and supporting a network of green chemistry companies in the Northern Netherlands. \u201dChemport is a strong network of companies in the green chemical industry that know how to find each other easily. There is a cooperative attitude, we want to help each other without expecting anything in return,\u201d says Kats. Startups and scaleups work together. For example, CuRe Technology supplies BioBTX with residual materials from its recycling plant that it can then use as raw materials. Kunst: \u201dI notice that people in the north are very open and trust each other quickly.\u201d In addition, large companies such as BP also work together with the scaleups in the region. \u201cThese large corporations need to become more environmentally friendly, and they do this regularly by working with new companies,\u201d adds Kats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCircularity is a team sport. We have to do it together,\u201d concludes Kunst.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Plastic\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Tough times for Dutch recycling sector: new facility canceled again<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The Dutch recycling industry is in crisis<\/a>. More and more recycling companies are having to close their doors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a>Sponsored<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This story is the result of a collaboration between NOM<\/a> and our editorial team.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The fact that fossil fuels are running out is no longer a surprise. Sustainable fuels will replace gasoline and diesel in the future, and energy will increasingly come from renewable sources such as the sun, wind, or water. But what about chemicals? They are indispensable in producing materials for packaging, clothing, paint, and all kinds […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":163414,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","nova_meta_subtitle":"In the north of the Netherlands, various scaleups are building factories there to recycle plastic and make indispensable chemicals more sustainably","footnotes":""},"categories":[17143],"tags":[6843,10744,12330,17202,10416,12366,15994,7105,10743,24335],"supplier":[12540,9458,13106,25657,17574,10090,26366],"class_list":["post-163397","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-recycling","tag-biochemicals","tag-carboncapture","tag-ccu","tag-chemicalrecycling","tag-circulareconomy","tag-fuels","tag-greenchemicals","tag-packaging","tag-useco2","tag-wastetires","supplier-biobtx","supplier-brightlands-chemelot-campus","supplier-chemport-europe","supplier-circtec","supplier-curetechnology","supplier-eew-energy-from-waste","supplier-north-netherlands-development-agency-nom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163397","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=163397"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/163397\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/163414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=163397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=163397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=163397"},{"taxonomy":"supplier","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renewable-carbon.eu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/supplier?post=163397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}