Insight
Converting plastic waste to synthetic fuels - Quantafuel is now operating at industrial scale
Norwegian Quantafuel is now ready to send synthetic oil products from chemically recycled plastic waste from its plant in Denmark to its partner BASF, a German chemical giant.
"We are proud to announce that we have successfully started the operation of converting plastic waste into liquid products of high quality at our plant in Skive, Denmark, and we sent the first oil to the laboratory at the plant for further analysis. In the coming days and weeks, our focus will continue to be to increase the production of our high quality products to be delivered to our partner BASF," Quantafuel writes in a press release.
Quantafuel – a part of the circular material flow
When fully ramped up, Quantafuel will transform 19,000 tonnes of waste plastic into 15 million litres of low-carbon diesel and other synthetic oil products annually. Their technology can utilize the fractions of the plastic waste that cannot be reused as plastic, but which can instead be utilized for synthetic diesel. Denmark's Green Investment Fund believes in the global potential of the company, and with the fund’s green financing, Quantafuel was able to start building the world's first plant in Skive in 2018.
Quantafuel has developed a technology that makes it possible to recycle the waste plastic that today ends up in incineration. With the right processing, food packaging, foil and other plastics from households and businesses can live on as low-carbon diesel and naphtha for new plastic production and thus be part of a circular material flow.
CO2 production savings corresponds to 25,000 cars
The actual production of the synthetic diesel emits 90 percent less CO2 compared to traditional fuel production. Seen in a life cycle perspective, this corresponds to a reduction in CO2 emissions by more than 50,000 tonnes of CO2 per year - years compared to emissions from the production of traditional fossil fuels.
In absolute numbers, the CO2 savings correspond to the annual CO2 emissions from approx. 25,000 cars. At the same time, the pure, synthetic fuel emits less NOx, SOx and particles through the exhaust gasses compared to ordinary fuel. For this reason, among other things, the world's largest independent fuel distributor, Vitol, has already agreed to supplement its supplies with Quantafuel's synthetic diesel
Quantafuel will make another investment in Denmark
At the end of August 2020, Quantafuel unveiled that they plan to set up another plant in Denmark - but without revealing where in the country it will be located. The idea for the new facility was presented shortly after the news that the LEGO family fund KIRKBI had invested DKK 250 million in Quantafuel, equal to 11% share in the company.
The plant, which will then be the second of its kind in Denmark will, as the plant in Skive, convert plastic waste into environmentally friendly chemicals that can be used for the production of new plastic and synthetic diesel. Rambøll will carry out the design project for the new plant together with Quantafuel.
About Quantafuel:
Quantafuel is a Norwegian technology-based energy company that focuses on finding a solution to unsustainable management of the earth's resources. Their factory in Skive will be able to process 19,000 tonnes of waste plastic per year, which will be converted into oil that can be used in new production. Read more at www.quantafuel.dk.About BASF
BASF is a German chemical company, which has invested a triple-digit million amount in the Norwegian company and will receive all products from the plant in the first years. BASF create chemistry for a sustainable future. The company combines financial success with environmental protection and social responsibility. Further information about BASF can be found at www.basf.dk.Get in Touch Do you want to know more about Cleantech in Denmark?
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