Techno-economic analysis of a scaled-up plastic pyrolysis facility in the Netherlands

The global plastic waste crisis demands innovative solutions to mitigate environmental impacts and support circular economy objectives. This study, conducted as part of the EngD program at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), evaluates the technoeconomic feasibility of scaling up plastic pyrolysis technologies in the Netherlands to convert plastic waste into valuable hydrocarbon products such as naphtha, and LPG.
With annual global plastic production surpassing 390 million tonnes and recycling rates below 10%, the Netherlands faces significant waste management challenges. This project assesses two cases for a scaled-up pyrolysis facility: Case 1 involves catalytic
pyrolysis for LPG and naphtha production with two separation configurations (cryogenic distillation and optimized distillation), while Case 2 focuses on non-catalytic pyrolysis producing wax as the primary product, coupled with CO2 capture technology.
Process simulations in Aspen Plus were used to model reactor performance, separation stages, and energy requirements, while economic evaluations included capital expenditures (CAPEX), operating expenditures (OPEX), and sensitivity studies to identify cost drivers. Case 1: Option B achieved the lowest minimum selling price (MSP) for LPG (€1,419/ton), close to the market price (€1,471/ton), but remains unprofitable. Case 2’s higher CAPEX and OPEX necessitate further evaluation of byproduct revenues and CO2 capture costs. Feedstock costs were identified as a critical factor, with a ±15% variation in HDPE waste prices directly impacting the MSP.
Overall, Case 1: Option B emerged as the most economically promising configuration, with lower CAPEX and OPEX compared to Option A. However, the process remains fundamentally unprofitable, and further cost improvements or design optimizations are
unlikely to achieve profitability. Separation technologies, particularly distillation columns, represent a critical bottleneck for the viability of plastic pyrolysis in all scenarios analyzed. Rather than attempting to optimize or improve these technologies,
alternative approaches that avoid energy-intensive separation altogether must be prioritized. These findings emphasize the need for innovative strategies that rethink the process configurations to overcome the inherent limitations of current separation
technologies.