BioBTX to build world’s first commercial aromatics plant in Delfzijl, NL

BioBTX will construct the world’s first commercial‑scale facility that converts mixed plastic waste into renewable aromatic chemicals (benzene, toluene and xylenes) using its Integrated Catalytic Cracking Process (ICCP). The plant, located in Chemie Park Delfzijl, is slated to start construction in early 2027 and begin operations by mid‑2028. It is designed to produce about 10,000 tonnes of renewable aromatic oil and 8,000 tonnes of other sustainable by‑products each year, creating roughly 35 jobs. BioBTX says the ICCP technology can cut the life‑cycle greenhouse‑gas emissions of these chemicals by 70‑80% and could eventually deliver carbon‑negative savings.

Funding of €80‑90 million has been secured, enabling the project to move from laboratory and pilot stages initiated in 2012 at Groningen’s Zernike Campus to full commercial deployment. Co‑founder Ton Vries highlighted the plant’s role in turning plastic that is otherwise difficult to recycle into high‑value feedstocks for coatings, plastics, pharmaceuticals and battery materials, with shipments expected to reach Rotterdam for further processing.