Technological watch

has decided to develop its first HydroPRS™ (Hydrothermal Plastic Recycling Solution) project in Japan. HydroPRS™, the process which is licensed by Mura and KBR, is capable of that would otherwise be incinerated, sent to landfill, or leak into the environment as plastic pollution.
Converting Mixed Plastics into Chemicals
By converting mixed plastics back into fossil-replacement oils and chemicals, HydroPRS™ enables plastic waste to be upgraded into new plastics and other products, including road materials. Unlike many other recycling processes, there is no anticipated limit to the number of times the same material can be recycled with HydroPRS™.
The technology is able to process many types of plastic which currently cannot be recycled via traditional mechanical recycling processes. The use of supercritical water in the HydroPRS™ technology makes the process inherently scalable, allowing for efficient scale-up at point of need.
This latest project, which will be based at MCC’s Ibaraki Plant in Japan, is expected to complete construction in 2023. It will have the capacity to handle 20,000 tons of plastic waste per year – with MCC studying the possibility of increasing capacity in the future. Initially, the project will aim to use post-industrial plastics. With 9 million tons of plastic waste arising annually in Japan, MCC will seek to extend the scope of the project and target these plastics as raw materials.
This announcement is the most recent development in Mura and KBR’s collaboration and an evolution of the companies’ strong working relationship with MCC, which signed a licensing agreement for the Hydro-PRT? process in June this year. In addition to this collaboration with MCC, Mura and KBR are currently exploring additional projects in Asia, the USA and Europe to supplement the global roll-out of HydroPRS™ and meet Mura’s goal of developing one million tons of recycling capacity by 2025.
This the latest in a series of agreements that Mura and KBR have signed, and further underlines the vital role which HydroPRS™ will play in tackling the global plastics crisis.
“Plastic waste is polluting our environment at an alarming rate, not to mention the carbon emissions caused by utilizing the fossil fuels needed to make virgin plastics. We need global, sustainable, and scalable solutions today. That is why we are taking an international approach – to scale fast and meet the challenge head on – and we are proud of the work that will be completed at the Ibaraki plant. Our collaboration with KBR makes this kind of global expansion possible, and we look forward to exploring new future projects with them in Europe and Asia in the coming months."
Dr. Steve Mahon, CEO of Mura Technology said, “Alongside Mura Technology, we are excited to work with MCC on this HydroPRS™ project in Japan and make strides towards a plastics circular economy. This brings us closer to achieving our common goal of a clean and green future.”
Doug Kelly, KBR President, Technology said, “Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation are very pleased to announce that a final investment decision has been made to construct a HydroPRS™ recycling plant, which will process 20,000 tons of waste plastic per year, in Ibaraki. We see this as an extremely important step forward and MCC will continue to study and implement solutions towards a circular economy.”
Source: Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation