Germany – OMV is making a significant move into the circular economy with a substantial investment in an innovative sorting plant. The company has made its final investment decision to build this facility in Walldürn, southern Germany, developed in collaboration with Interzero.
OMV is committed to investing over EUR 170 million in this venture, with 89.9% of the shares owned by OMV and 10.1% belonging to Interzero.
The sorting plant, set to become operational in 2026, represents a crucial step towards OMV’s commitment to sustainable fuels, chemicals, and materials. It aligns with the circular economy’s principles by targeting mixed plastics that have traditionally been challenging to recycle. These plastics often come from sources like the yellow bag and the yellow bin recycling system in Germany.
ReOil technology
The facility will deploy OMV’s ReOil technology, a patented chemical recycling innovation that transforms non-recyclable plastic waste into valuable pyrolysis oil. This innovative process supports the circular economy by creating feedstock for plastics production from previously unrecyclable plastics.
The Walldürn sorting facility will be capable of processing up to 260,000 tonnes of mixed waste plastics each year. The process focuses on plastics that are unsuitable for mechanical recycling, ensuring that chemical recycling does not compete with mechanical recycling processes.
