P005 RECYCLE PLASTIC

• ReOil is a chemical recycling process developed by OMV. The aim is to produce reusable raw materials from end-of-life plastics — i.e. plastic waste that can no longer be recycled mechanically. OMV+2OMV+2
• The plant is located at the refinery near Schwechat (close to Vienna). OMV+2OMV+2
  
  

🔥 How the process works – step by step

1. Collection and selection of plastic
   • Plastic waste that is not suitable for conventional mechanical recycling (e.g. heavily contaminated mixed plastics, packaging waste, films, single-use plastics) is used. k-online.com+2www.watson.de/+2
2. Pyrolysis / thermal cracking
   • The plastic is heated to a high temperature, around 400–450 °C, in a protected (low-oxygen) environment. OMV+2BR.de+2
   • This breaks down the long plastic molecule chains (polymers) into shorter hydrocarbon chains, producing what is known as ‘pyrolysis oil’ or synthetic crude oil. OMV+2OMV+2
3. Refining / further processing
   • This synthetic crude oil is then further processed in the refinery – just like “normal” crude oil. It can be broken down into basic chemicals, e.g. monomers such as ethylene or propylene. OMV+2OMV+2
   • These basic chemicals can be used to produce new plastics — with the same quality as those made from fossil raw materials. OMV+2OMV+2
4. Circular economy (‘circular feedstock’) / Use
   • The plastics produced in this way are of ‘virgin quality’, i.e. they are of the same quality as new products made from crude oil. This means that packaging, medical materials, plastic parts and even plastics for demanding applications can be manufactured. OMV+2OMV+2
   • Alternatively, it would be technically possible to further process the synthetic crude oil — e.g. into fuels. In fact, this was one of the first applications considered for the project. OMV+2OilPrice.com+2
     
     

✅ Advantages / Why ReOil is important

• Closes the recycling gap: Many plastics cannot be recycled mechanically — ReOil gives these plastics a second chance instead of them being incinerated or landfilled. OMV+2OMV+2
• Resource efficiency & circular economy: Raw materials remain in circulation — reducing dependence on fossil crude oil. OMV+2OMV+2
• Climate protection potential: According to OMV, recycling via ReOil can reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 34% compared to incinerating plastic waste. OMV+2OMV+2
• Product quality: The raw materials recovered from plastic waste are of sufficient quality to produce new plastics — even for applications with high requirements (e.g. food packaging or medical products). OMV+1
  
  

⚠️ Limitations and criticisms / challenges

• Not suitable for all types of plastic: Mainly ‘mixed plastics’ or heavily contaminated plastics, films, packaging, but not all construction plastics. Chemie.de+2www.watson.de/+2
• Economic efficiency & energy requirements: The process requires energy (heating to high temperatures), so the costs and benefits must be carefully weighed up — when crude oil prices are very low, recovery is more difficult. www.watson.de/+2k-online.com+2
• Still limited capacity: Although the plant is growing — the new plant currently processes up to 16,000 tonnes of plastic per year — this is only a step in the right direction, as the volume of plastic waste remains significantly higher globally. OMV+1
• Not the same as a true circular economy: Even though the process enables recycling or reuse, plastic remains plastic, and the overall market for plastic production could be further stimulated.
  
  

🎯 Significance in the larger context

OMV’s ReOil project is a good example of how industrial processes and technological innovations can help treat plastic waste not as a ‘waste problem’ but as a resource. At a time when plastic waste, environmental pollution and CO₂ emissions are key challenges, chemical recycling such as ReOil can make an important contribution — especially when accompanied by better waste collection, sorting and the greatest possible reduction in single-use plastics.