Wednesday, May 21, 2025

Oldest Houston refinery site may be getting a new lease on life by helping rid plastic waste!

Happy Wednesday!

We love a follow-up.  We blogged about LyondellBasell and their over 100-year-old refinery on the Houston Ship Channel in January 2025 and how they were on track to mothball this aging plant by the end of March 2025.  At the time the question was what will LyondellBasell do next with the property, will they turn it into a green hydrogen plant, new refinery or what?  Well, they have let the cat out of the bag.

Did anyone happen to read the Houston Chronicle’s Business Section on May 19, 2025, their article titled, “Will community get a say in change?  Former LyondellBasell refinery is switching from petroleum to plastic recycling”?  In the article, it goes on to speak on how LyondellBasell’s 100-year-old refinery site has submitted applications for fast tracking approval for a chemical waste recycling unit for plastic refuse on part on the site.  LyondellBasell’s process would entail them using recycled plastic pellets mixing it with a heated catalyst substance which would help separate the plastic into a gas and liquid which would be used in new materials.  The process will have lower emissions than the old refinery.  According to the article the unit would be in service by 2027.   

LyondellBasell and Exxon have partnered up with a third party, Agilyx in an advanced recycling project to build the Cyclyx Circularity Center in the Houston area.  This project will help with the growing plastic problem by getting plastic out of our garbage dumps and recycling them for other uses.  The project will use innovative machinery and techniques which will decide the type of plastic, then separate and organize, and turn it into raw materials to be used at Exxon or Lyondell-Basell’s waste recycling plants for use in new materials.  We wish them luck cleaning up plastic waste!  If you would like to read more of the Houston Chronicle’s article on MSN, please click the link: A former LyondellBasell refinery is switching to plastic recycling. Will thecommunity get a say?.

If you would like help in looking into how to transport your product efficiently, safely, and with less of a carbon footprint or just find out what is underneath your feet to help with your emission reduction goals, contact us via email in the Blog and check out our ESC website!

We hope you have a wonderful evening and a great rest of your week!  

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