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Step Closer to Resource Circulating Ecosystem - LOTTE Chemical Begins Test Production of Chemically Recycled PET (C-rPET)

2022.08.23


Step Closer to Resource Circulating Ecosystem

- LOTTE Chemical Begins Test Production of Chemically Recycled PET (C-rPET)


lotte chemical


■ Modified Ulsan Plant 2 PET equipment with proprietary technologies and began test production of [1] providing

    a test bed to pursue chemical recycling business with 4,200-ton production capacity over 20 days

■ First in Korea to construct waste PET depolymerization facilities (BHET) at Ulsan Plant 2 by '24 and will construct

    110,000-ton C-rPET plant, and switch all of Ulsan PET plant to C-rPET by ‘30 with production of 340,000 tons...

    Contribute to achieving goal of selling over 1 million tons of eco-friendly recycled materials by 2030

■ Basic Materials President Hwang Jin-koo, “Established cornerstone for transitioning Korea’s largest PET production base,

    LOTTE Chemical Ulsan Plant, to a green factory... Once Korea’s first depolymerization plant and C-rPET production facility

    are completed, it will be possible to supply mass amounts of regenerative PET materials stably"

■ In August of this year, entered MOU with the waste treatment company GE Technology and agreed on supply

    of 40,000 tons of flakes for C-rPET... Efforts to expand cooperation with collection companies and for stable supply

    of raw waste plastic materials


LOTTE Chemical announced on the 23rd that it began test production of C-rPET (Chemical Recycled PET), which is drawing attention as a plastic resource circulating technology.


LOTTE Chemical completed modification of the PET plant at Ulsan Plant 2 using proprietary technology in August of this year and successfully began test production of C-rPET. Testing for the polymerization plant was completed for the construction of implementation equipment for BHET, which is a recycled material, and for mass productions, and it will test produce 4,200 tons of products for about 20 days starting from the 16th. It constructed a test bed for putting in full motion the chemical recycling business that will lead the industry.


In April of last year, LOTTE Chemical announced its plans to convert the nation’s largest PET production base at its Ulsan Plant to an advanced base for the chemical recycling business with the goal of constructing a resource circulating ecosystem and for expanding sales of eco-friendly products. 


For this, approximately 100 billion KRW will be invested in Ulsan Plant 2 to newly construct a 45,000-ton capacity depolymerization plant (BHET production) that can treat waste PET for the first time in Korea, and also construct a 110,000-ton capacity C-rPET production facility to use the BHET produced from this to produce PET by 2024. Afterwards, plans are to convert the 340,000 ton-capacity PET production plant in the Ulsan Plant completely to C-rPET by 2030 for production. The main goal is to build a resource circulating loop ranging from raw materials to production, thereby expanding recycling of plastics and to achieve 1 million tons of eco-friendly recycled material sales by 2030. 


Basic Materials President Hwang Jin-koo stated, “With this C-rPET test production, we have established a cornerstone for transitioning Korea’s largest PET production base, LOTTE Chemical Ulsan Plant, to a green factory,” and added, “Once Korea’s first depolymerization plant and C-rPET production facility are completed, it will be possible to supply mass amounts of regenerative PET materials stably" 


He further commented, “We plan to further expand win-win cooperation with domestic collection companies to procure the raw materials for mass production of C-rPET and to establish a culture of resource circulation.”


In August of this year, LOTTE Chemical entered an MOU with the waste treatment company, GE Technology and agreed to receive an annual 40,000 tons of flakes for C-rPET, while expanding cooperation with other relevant companies as well.


Moreover, it is procuring an economy of scale for expanding the recycled plastics business by establishing a forward base for future waste plastic supplies. LOTTE Chemical constructed the industry’s first private-government-corporate waste plastic collection cooperation model through ‘Project LOOP.’ It entered MOUs with Seongnam and Incheon cities last year and this year and engaged in pilot projects such as installation of waste plastic collection devices, education, etc. for residential complexes and schools, and it is also increasing cooperation to other local governments as it plans to focus on expanding resource circulation and create social value. 


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