Ducor and Blue Circle Olefins partner to develop a circular polypropylene supply chain using bio-based and carbon-recycled feedstocks with major emissions reductions.
Ducor Petrochemicals and Blue Circle Olefins have announced a significant strategic collaboration aimed at creating a fully circular and sustainable polypropylene value chain. Through this partnership, the companies intend to produce and jointly market segregated bio-polypropylene as well as polypropylene derived from carbon-recycled sources. The initiative combines the strengths and technological capabilities of both organizations to support the rapidly increasing demand for environmentally responsible polypropylene solutions across a wide range of industries, including healthcare, life sciences, automotive, engineering, electrical appliances, packaging, and household goods.
Blue Circle Olefins is advancing an ambitious 200-kiloton Methanol-to-Olefins (MTO) facility in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. This scale-up project is designed to be operational by 2030 and will focus on converting green methanol into high-quality, fossil-free olefins. The green methanol, sourced from mixed plastic waste or biomass feedstocks such as agricultural and forestry residues, will be transformed into biobased and carbon-recycled ethylene and propylene. These essential building blocks will serve as critical raw materials for circular plastics production. By upcycling such waste streams into virgin-grade olefins, Blue Circle Olefins anticipates achieving a reduction of more than 80% in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional oil-derived polyolefins. This positions the company as a key enabler in accelerating the industry’s transition toward low-carbon and fully circular materials.
Ducor Petrochemicals, for its part, brings extensive experience in producing sustainable polypropylene solutions tailored for demanding applications. The company has long served customers in sectors where quality, performance, and reliability are paramount—such as medical devices, laboratory equipment, automotive components, engineering products, packaging solutions, consumer goods, and home appliances. Its flexible manufacturing capabilities and customer-centric approach make it well-situated to incorporate Blue Circle Olefins’ circular feedstocks into next-generation polypropylene grades.
Ralph Koekkoek, CEO of Blue Circle Olefins, emphasized the importance of this partnership, noting that the collaboration marks a key milestone in the development of the company’s MTO project. He highlighted that together, the two companies will be able to provide customers with an expanded array of polypropylene grades, which can be tailored to specific applications and produced using recycled or fully biobased propylene. Koekkoek described the initiative as a strong demonstration of Blue Circle Olefins’ long-term ambition to supply the chemical industry with 100% circular olefins.
Echoing this sentiment, Hanno Schouten, CEO of Ducor Petrochemicals, stated that the unique configuration of Blue Circle Olefins’ MTO project, when combined with Ducor’s adaptable and customer-focused production systems, will enable the creation of a new generation of tailor-made, sustainable polypropylene products. Schouten reinforced Ducor’s commitment to supporting Europe’s transition to circular materials and noted that the partnership allows both organizations to co-develop the entire value chain. Through this collaboration, Ducor aims to help customers achieve a seamless shift toward 100% circular polypropylene by 2030.
