OMV scales up innovative recycling technology at Schwechat refinery

ReOil technology converts plastics into synthetic feedstock for the petrochemical industry.

OMV has taken the final investment decision to build a chemical recycling demo plant, based on its proprietary ReOil technology. With this, OMV is taking the next step toward an industrial-scale plant planned for 2026.

The patented chemical recycling technology, developed by OMV, converts plastic waste into synthetic feedstock, under moderate pressure and normal refinery operating temperatures, which is then primarily used to produce again high-quality plastics.

OMV was among the first companies to develop a chemical recycling technology for used plastics more than a decade ago. A ReOil pilot plant has been operating in the Schwechat refinery since 2018, capable of processing 100 kg of used plastics into 100 liters of synthetic feedstock per hour. The pilot plant has been running for a total of 13,000 hours since its commissioning and thus enabled an improvement in the thermal cracking process and supported the further scale up of the ReOil technology.

The current investment covers the construction of a ReOil demo plant with a design capacity of 16,000 t/year at the OMV site in Schwechat, Austria. Production startup is planned for early 2023.