PureCycle and Port of Antwerp-Bruges announce NextGen District as location for PureCycle’s first plastic recycling plant in Europe

PureCycle and Port of Antwerp-Bruges announce NextGen District as location for PureCycle’s first plastic recycling plant in Europe

PureCycle selected as NextGen District concessionaire in competitive bid process

PureCycle Technologies (NASDAQ: PCT) and Port of Antwerp-Bruges today announced that PureCycle will build its first polypropylene (PP) recycling facility in Europe in the port’s fast-growing NextGen District.

The new plant will have an annual capacity of 59,000 metric tons (130 million pounds), with opportunities to expand operations in the future since the 14-hectare plot can support up to four processing lines with a total capacity of ~240,000 metric tons (~500 million pounds) per year. PureCycle is currently engaged in feedstock sourcing and financial planning with the intent to secure a final project timeline by mid-2023. Construction of the plant will begin upon completion of the permitting process, currently anticipated in 2024.

NextGen District is a global hub for businesses seeking to advance the circular economy. The district is located at the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Europe’s second largest port. PureCycle was recently awarded a concessionaire contract during NextGen’s competitive bid selection process.

PureCycle Vice President of European Operations, Wiebe Schipper, commented, “The announcement of our first location in Europe marks the next phase in executing PureCycle’s global growth strategy. We are excited to bring our Ultra-Pure Recycled (UPR) resin to customers in Europe, where companies and policies are at the forefront of the circular economy. Being in NextGen District will enable us to capitalize on existing efficiencies, collaborate with other innovators in the space and forge new partnerships.” He added, “We want to thank the Port of Antwerp-Bruges for believing in our mission and for providing the support necessary to get this project off the ground. Our team at PureCycle looks forward to creating a more sustainable future together.”
Port of Antwerp-Bruges CEO, Jacques Vandermeiren, said, “The Port of Antwerp-Bruges’ NextGen District is committed to creating an innovation hotspot where companies dedicated to building a circular economy and developing sustainable solutions to some of the world’s toughest climate and environmental challenges can thrive. We’re thrilled to be partnering with PureCycle on this strategic project to help bring that vision to life.”

PureCycle is already in active negotiations with potential feedstock and offtake partners and expects to commence commercial operations at its new European facility when construction of the first processing line is completed. The new PP purification plant will not only supply the European market with PureCycle’s UPR resin but is also expected to create 65-70 new jobs for local residents during the initial phase of the project. This project represents one of the largest investments announced in the NextGen District to date. Various funding options are currently being considered, including traditional financing sources as well as grants/subsidies for circular projects that are uniquely available in the EU.

Minister-President of Flanders, Jan Jambon, remarked, “PureCycle selected Flanders as the preferred location within the EU for the construction of its first European recycling plant. This confirms that Flanders is among the world leaders in waste collection and processing and strengthens our position even more firmly as a leading recycling hub. PureCycle's purification technology is a game changer within the circular economy and will have a major impact on making plastics - and pre-eminently the chemical cluster around the Port of Antwerp-Bruges - even more sustainable. As a region that pioneers in circular innovation, we are extremely proud to welcome this new ecosystem-strengthening partner in Flanders. Export and investment promotion agency Flanders Investment & Trade played a leading role in this investment dossier through teams in the US and in Flanders. FIT also supports PureCycle in the start-up and development of their site and their anchoring in Flanders.”
Vice-Mayor of the City of Antwerp and President of the board of directors of Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Annick De Ridder: "With PureCycle, NextGen District welcomes not only a new player, but also a first. This American pioneer will build its first polypropylene recycling facility in Europe here in the Port of Antwerp. This new pioneer brings a solid investment and a lot of jobs to our port. This great news sets the new year off strongly. In our home base for circular economy, PureCycle will have all the space it needs to innovate and contribute to the strengthening, synergy and diversification of our port."

With the company’s flagship recycling plant in Ironton, Ohio expected to start pellet production in Q1 of 2023; a second plant in Augusta, Georgia under initial construction; and its first PP recycling plant in Asia currently on track to open in 2025, PureCycle is expanding globally and actively scaling its production capabilities.

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About PureCycle Technologies
PureCycle Technologies LLC., a subsidiary of PureCycle Technologies, Inc., holds a global license for the only patented solvent-driven purification recycling technology, developed by The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G), that is designed to transforms polypropylene plastic waste (designated as No. 5 plastic) into a continuously renewable resource. The unique purification process removes color, odor, and other impurities from No. 5 plastic waste resulting in an ultra-pure recycled (UPR) plastic that can be recycled and reused multiple times, changing our relationship with plastic.

Contact PureCycle
Christian Bruey
[email protected]
​+1 (352) 745-6120
www.purecycle.com

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About Port of Antwerp-Bruges

With an overall throughput of 271 million tonnes per year, Port of Antwerp-Bruges is a critical hub in worldwide trade and industry. The port is a crucial link for the handling of containers, breakbulk and for the throughput of vehicles. Port of Antwerp-Bruges is home to 1,400 companies and accommodates the largest integrated chemical cluster in Europe. The port provides, directly and indirectly, a total of around 164,000 jobs and generates an added value of 21 billion euros.
 
The ambition for Port of Antwerp-Bruges is clear - to become the world's first port that reconciles economy, people and climate. As well as growing in a sustainable way, the Port also aims to focus on its unique position as a logistics, maritime and industrial centre and to take the lead in the transition to a circular and low-carbon economy. Together with the port community, customers and other partners, Port of Antwerp-Bruges is actively seeking innovative solutions for a sustainable future. High on the agenda is its responsibility for the environment and the surrounding society. 

The port sites of Antwerp and Zeebrugge are operated by the Antwerp-Bruges Port Authority, a limited liability company of public law with the City of Antwerp and the City of Bruges as its shareholders. The port employs 1,800 people. Vice-Mayor of Antwerp Annick De Ridder is President of the Board of Directors, the Mayor of Bruges Dirk De fauw is the Vice-President. Jacques Vandermeiren is CEO and President of the Executive Committee, which is responsible for the port’s day-to-day management. 

www.portofantwerpbruges.com

The telephone number +32 492 15 41 39 is only for press inquiries. For other questions you can mail to [email protected]

Port of Antwerp-Bruges
Havenhuis
Zaha Hadidplein 1
2030 Antwerp
Belgium