Mura’s technology uses supercritical water to convert old plastics back into oils and chemicals that can be then used to make new polymers, preventing end-of-life waste from going to landfill or being incinerated for energy. While Japan recycles around 84 per cent of its plastic waste, most of this is currently burned.
The new project will see Mura teaming up with Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation (MCC) via licensing partner KBR, installing Hydro-PRT at an existing MCC facility in the Japanese prefecture of Ibaraki. Set to be constructed by the end of 2023, the new HydroPRT project will initially have the capacity to handle 20,000 tonnes of plastic waste per year, with the possibility of increasing that capacity in the future.
“This is the latest in a series of agreements that Mura and KBR have signed, and further underlines the vital role which Hydro-PRT will play in tackling the global plastics crisis,” said Dr Steve Mahon, CEO of Mura Technology.
“Plastic waste is polluting our environment at an alarming rate, not to mention the carbon emissions caused by utilising 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.”
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 Hydro-PRT, targeting a goal to develop one million tonnes of recycling capacity by 2025.
