In a first for the Middle East and North Africa region, Aramco, TotalEnergies, and SABIC have accomplished the successful conversion of oil extracted from plastic waste into ISCC+ certified circular polymers.
This milestone was achieved through the processing of plastic pyrolysis oil, also known as plastic waste derived oil (PDO), at the SATORP refinery in Jubail, Saudi Arabia, which is jointly owned by Aramco and TotalEnergies. The resulting PDO was then utilised as a raw material by PETROKEMYA, an affiliate of SABIC, to manufacture certified circular polymers.
This initiative seeks to establish a domestic value chain within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the advanced recycling of plastics into circular polymers. By utilising this process, the project addresses the issue of end-of-life plastics by enabling the conversion of non-sorted plastics that are typically challenging to recycle through mechanical means.
The project achieved a significant milestone by obtaining ISCC+ certification, which guarantees transparency and traceability of the recycled feedstock and products. This certification ensures that the origin of the recycled materials can be accurately traced and verified. Three key industrial facilities are involved in this process: the SATORP refinery, Aramco’s Ju’aymah NGL Fractionation Plant, and PETROKEMYA. All three facilities successfully obtained the ISCC+ certification, thereby enabling the production of circular materials in compliance with sustainable practices.
Both SABIC and TotalEnergies are founding members of the non-profit organisation called the Alliance to End Plastic Waste (AEPW). This collaborative initiative is dedicated to pooling together collective knowledge, resources, and expertise to effectively tackle the prevailing challenges in waste management.
Aramco Downstream president Mohammed Y. Al Qahtani said: “This achievement illustrates the importance of the petrochemical sector in creating more sustainable products and solutions. Our aim is to create circular solutions for plastic waste, while also making progress on our ambition to achieve net-zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions across our wholly-owned operated assets by 2050.
“By leveraging spare capacity of existing infrastructure, we aim to produce circular products that could be scaled up at low cost. Aramco is considering multiple ways of tapping into new technologies and leveraging existing assets to support the deployment of circular, more sustainable and lower-carbon products.”
