BDI supplies SynCycle chemical recycling plant to Greenertis in Tarragona, Spain
Updated: Oct 14
BDI-BioEnergy International announced Oct. 7 that it has been contracted by the Spanish firm Greenertis to supply its innovative SynCycle chemical recycling technology in a new plant that will transform waste plastic into pyrolysis oil.
According to Greenertis, the new SynCycle plant being provided by BDI will be located in Tarragona, Spain, and is expected to be commissioned next year.
The project constitutes an important milestone for BDI, as it is the first reference plant on an industrial scale to use SynCycle technology.
The facility, according to Greenertis, will be capable of processing 50,000 metric tons of plastic waste into 36,000 tons of pyrolysis oil per year.
The plant will isolate polyolefin plastics from waste streams and convert them to pyrolysis oil called Circular Oil.
The SynCycle technology from BDI makes it possible to convert plastic waste that would otherwise be incinerated or landfilled into valuable intermediate products for the chemical industry.
This is accomplished through the isolation of polyolefin plastics (polyethylene and polypropylene) from waste streams that were originally destined for incineration or landfilling and converting them into valuable pyrolysis oil that can be recycled into new plastics.
Returning pyrolysis oil to the plastics industry and using it to substitute crude oil-based intermediates results in a significant reduction in CO2 emissions.
This avoids the incineration of plastic waste that can no longer be recycled by conventional means, thus saving the carbon contained in the waste from being burned, while also reducing the demand for crude oil.
According to Greenertis, the new plant will in effect reduce CO2 emissions by 30,000 tons per year.
The project marks the first phase of expansion at Greenertis’ Tarragona site into a center for decentralized chemical recycling.
Feedstock pretreatment and other parts of the deliveries will be executed with BDI’s partner HydroDyn Recycling GmbH and Next Generation Recycling GmbH.
The Tarragona plant will serve as a model for future chemical recycling projects, BDI stated, underscoring the importance of innovation and collaboration in the industry.
“With this project, BDI demonstrates its leading role in developing environmentally friendly technologies and strengthens its position as a pioneer in the bioenergy and recycling industry,” said Manfred Baumgartner and David Niederl, managing directors at BDI. “The SynCycle plant is not only a technical breakthrough but also an important step towards a more sustainable and recycling-oriented economy.”
Greenertis CEO Josep Maria Calderó added, “Greenertis, whose main investor is the Portuguese industrial group Sonae Capital Industrials, is materializing a clear commitment to the circular economy and sustainability with the development of the Tarragona plant. Starting in the third quarter of 2025, this plant will produce 36,000 metric tons of Circular Oil by recycling 50,000 metric tons of complex plastic waste annually. This is the first step in Greenertis’ ambitious plan to establish several sites across Europe in the coming years.”
BDI-BioEnergy International is a full-service provider of innovative greentech solutions and market leader in the construction of biodiesel plants.
The patented BDI multifeedstock process and the resource-saving and environmentally friendly RepCat process allow maximum flexibility with waste and residual materials, innovations that guarantee highly efficient and very economical production.
BDI noted that its vast experience in pretreatment of waste feedstock also makes it an ideal partner for the renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry.
In addition to its SynCycle chemical recycling technology, biodiesel process technologies and feedstock pretreatment for both the biodiesel and renewable diesel/SAF sectors, BDI also provides proprietary fermentation technologies for the biogas sector.
Its range of services stretches from contract research, process development, engineering and scale-up to customer services.
BDI-BioEnergy International currently employs around 100 people.
