Port of Rotterdam set for advanced plastic recycling hub

WPU, the plastics recycling division of Vitol, is advancing plans to construct a large-scale chemical recycling facility at the Port of Rotterdam, positioned alongside Vitol’s VPR refinery.

Port of Rotterdam set for advanced plastic recycling hu

The proposed plant is designed to process 80,000 tonnes per annum of post-consumer end-of-life plastics, placing it among Europe’s largest chemical recycling projects once operational.

The development builds on WPU (Waste Plastic Upcycling)’s batch pyrolysis technology, which converts end-of-life plastics into pyrolysis oil.

This output is intended to act as a circular feedstock for the production of circular chemicals, intermediates and new plastics, effectively substituting fossil naphtha within downstream refining and petrochemical value chains.

WPU already operates a commercial-scale facility in Denmark with a recycling capacity of 20,000 tonnes per year.

That plant is currently running near full capacity, positioning the company among the early movers in industrial-scale plastics pyrolysis for post-consumer waste streams.

The Rotterdam site is strategically located adjacent to Vitol’s VPR refinery, enabling direct integration with existing refining and petrochemical infrastructure.

According to project details, the facility will also incorporate furnace technology aimed at reducing emissions and lowering energy consumption.

Similar technologies have already been deployed at the VPR refinery, supporting operational alignment across the site.

The project is further strengthened by infrastructure developments from Vopak, which is repurposing approximately 20,000 cubic metres of storage capacity for the handling and storage of pyrolysis oil.

This capacity will be integrated into Vopak’s existing naphtha storage hub at Europoort, providing critical midstream logistics support for circular feedstock flows.

Taken together, the developments signal a growing convergence between waste plastic processing, refining infrastructure and tank storage networks in Rotterdam, reinforcing the port’s positioning as a hub for circular economy fuels and chemical feedstocks.

Once operational, the facility is expected to play a key role in scaling chemical recycling capacity in Europe, while linking end-of-life plastic recovery directly into established industrial supply chains through the port ecosystem.

Recently, the Harbour Coordination Centre at the Port of Rotterdam reopened following a major overhaul, with Robert Simons, Deputy Mayor of Rotterdam, and Boudewijn Siemons, COO at the Port of Rotterdam Authority, marking the occasion with a traditional coin ceremony.