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Dow Chemical and announced plans to build a chemical recycling plant in Bohlen, Germany. When completed, new plant would be Europe’s largest. It will use Mura’s proprietary recycling technology, called HydroPRS.

HydroPRS uses supercritical steam to break down waste plastic, including mixed plastics and multilayer films, into new feedstock. Mura says the use of water distinguishes the process from pyrolysis, allowing more effective energy transfer to the material.

Dow will be the key off-taker for the new plant, which will be co-located with its existing facility in Bohlen. At a virtual press conference, Mark van den Biggelaar, advanced recycling director at Dow, said he expects the initial market to be polyethylene packaging, where the need for supply is most urgent and largest. Future opportunities could include plastics for automotive and appliance products.

If the investment plans are finalized, the new facility is expected to be operational by 2025 and have a production capacity of 120,000 ton/yr. Mura’s first HydroPRS plant, in Teesdale, UK, is expected to have a capacity of 20,000 ton/yr when it begins operation sometime next year.