In a pioneering development for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, TotalEnergies, Aramco, and SABIC have successfully converted oil derived from plastic waste into ISCC+ certified circular polymers.

The plastic pyrolysis oil, known as plastic waste derived oil (PDO), underwent processing at the SATORP refinery in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, which is jointly owned by Aramco and TotalEnergies. It was then used as a feedstock by Petrokemya, an affiliate of SABIC, to produce certified circular polymers.

The project aims to establish a domestic value chain in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for advanced plastic recycling, specifically targeting the production of circular polymers. This process enables the utilization of non-sorted plastics that are challenging to recycle mechanically, thereby addressing the issue of end-of-life plastics.

An important milestone for the project was obtaining the ISCC+ certification, which ensures transparency and traceability of the recycled feedstock and products. Three industrial plants were involved in the process: the SATORP refinery, Aramco's Ju'aymah NGL Fractionation Plant, and Petrokemya. All three successfully obtained ISCC+ certification, enabling the production of circular materials.

Mohammed Y. Al Qahtani, Aramco's President of Downstream, emphasized the significance of the achievement in creating more sustainable products and solutions within the petrochemical sector. The aim is to develop circular solutions for plastic waste while progressing toward the goal of achieving net-zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions from wholly-owned operated assets by 2050. Leveraging the spare capacity of existing infrastructure, the project aims to produce scalable circular products at a low cost.

Bernard Pinatel, President of Refining & Chemicals at TotalEnergies, highlighted the initiative as a significant step towards addressing the challenge of end-of-life plastics. It aligns with TotalEnergies' target of producing 30% of circular polymers by 2030 and the company's broader strategy of becoming a multi-energy company with a commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

Sami Al-Osaimi, SABIC's EVP Petrochemicals, emphasized the collaborative nature of the project, which involves cooperation across the entire petrochemical value chain to overcome upstream and downstream challenges related to circular plastics.

Both SABIC and TotalEnergies are founding members of the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW), a non-profit organization dedicated to leveraging collective knowledge, resources, and experience to address current waste management challenges.