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Home Blog Shell Partners Waste-To-Chemicals Consortium Rotterdam with Air Liquide, Enerkem, Nouryon and Port Of Rotterdam

Shell Partners Waste-To-Chemicals Consortium Rotterdam with Air Liquide, Enerkem, Nouryon and Port Of Rotterdam

  • Published | 08 March 2019
The proposed project of W2C consortium in Rotterdam to make valuable chemicals and bio-fuels out of non-recyclable waste materials will play a key role in energy transition & in the reduction of the CO2 emission which will improve the environmental condition in future.
Global: In the Netherlands, a consortium of world-leading companies comprising Air Liquide, Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals), Enerkem and the Port of Rotterdam has confirmed that Shell will join hand in Europe’s first advanced waste-to-chemicals facility in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, as per biofuels digest. Shell will also an equal equity partner in the proposed commercial-scale waste-to-chemicals project, which will be the first of its kind in Europe to make valuable chemicals and biofuels out of non-recyclable waste materials. The facility will be utilized to convert up to 360,000 tons of waste into 220,000 tons (270 million liters) of bio-methanol that is a chemical building block used to manufacture a broad range of products as well as being a renewable fuel. Moreover, the facility will be built within the Botlek area of the Port of Rotterdam using Enerkem’s proprietary technology which will convert non-recyclable mixed waste, including plastics, into syngas. The syngas will then get converted into clean methanol for usage in the chemical industry and the transport sector. Advanced biofuels, including those produced using bio-methanol, have the potential to decarbonize the transportation sector, in particular, which is an exciting prospect given transportation accounts for one-fifth of global energy-related CO2 emissions and will continue to depend on liquid fuels, especially for long journeys and heavy-duty vehicles, for years to come. Moreover, the initiatives such as the EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) which came into effect in 2021, as well as the Circular Economy Package are creating an ideal environment for leading companies to drive sustainable growth through innovation. The project will be further strengthened with the addition of another leading global partner in the coming years. However, the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs & Climate Policy is also supporting the W2C project and by developing mechanisms and regulations to help bring this new technology to a broader level. The Dutch Ministry is helping the project with the aim of aiding the Dutch economy’s low-carbon transition.   According to BlueWeave Consulting, The demand for secure, sustainable & clean energy supply is expected to fuel the demand for biofuels worldwide. Biofuels are the energy source which is made up of living microorganism, starch, and other livestock. On account of higher mandates for biofuel blending in automotive fuels and increasing government support for eco-friendly alternatives, the global consumption of biofuel is expected to further grow at a significant level during the forecast period. However, the key factor which is driving the global biofuels market is the growing interest in alternative fuels on account of uncertainty in global fuel prices, energy security, and the continuously rising in emission levels. Moreover, favorable government initiatives by various developed countries such as Brazil, the United States and more, are pushing the growth of the global biofuels market. In addition, the growing demand for flex-fuel vehicles, powered by bespoke fossil fuel-biofuel blends, is poised to benefit market growth in the coming years.