Neste is enhancing its logistics infrastructure at its refinery in Porvoo, Finland to accommodate liquefied recycled raw materials, such as waste plastic and rubber tires.

Source: Neste

This development is a crucial step towards managing larger volumes of liquefied raw materials in support of Neste's strategic goals to promote chemical recycling and convert the Porvoo refinery into a renewable and circular solutions center.

The transformation of our Porvoo refinery into a renewable and circular solutions hub will require many individual steps and adjustments. The new logistics infrastructure is one of these steps. It puts us in a good position to process larger and continuous volumes of liquefied recycled raw materials. This will be needed when we start using the new upgrading unit, which is able to process 150,000 tons of liquefied waste plastic per year.

The new logistics facilities will include specialized unloading features: a heated unloading arm and connecting pipelines at the refinery's harbor to dedicated storage tanks. Unlike conventional crude oil, liquefied waste plastic and rubber tires need to be heated to remain in liquid form, requiring systems with increased resistance to corrosion. Alongside the unloading arm and pipelines, Neste plans to install a vapor recovery unit to regulate emissions from the operations.

Anticipated for completion in 2024, the new logistics infrastructure will coincide with the finalization of Neste's liquefied waste plastic upgrading unit at the Porvoo refinery under the PULSE project, slated for completion in 2025. This upgrading unit will transform the liquefied raw materials into premium-grade feedstock for the plastics and chemicals industry.