• At K Fair 2022, Borealis and Borouge jointly presented products, technologies, partnerships and investments in its way to a circular future for the polyolefins industry
• The theme — ‘Innovate, Collaborate, Accelerate’ —describes the growth mindset that is uniting the entire value chain to explore opportunities and drive urgent action

November, 15, 2022 - The polyolefins industry is in the midst of a transition, changing from a linear to a circular model. With this background, Borealis and Borouge are working with partners around the globe to drive sustainable progress, with the companies united by a commitment to using polyolefin-based solutions that make circular, modern life possible for society as a whole, the companies say. Legally separate entities, both companies benefit from the strong and stable backing of their shareholders: OMV Group, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), and Mubadala.

Borealis and Borouge´s K Fair 2022 theme — Innovate, Collaborate, Accelerate — captured the growth mindset of the parties as they engage with the entire value chain to explore opportunities. It also supported Borealis’ Strategy 2030, which has established targets for making progress on circularity, including a six-fold increase in the volume of circular products to 600 kilotonnes globally by 2025, rising to 1.8 million tonnes by 2030.

Since 2001, Borouge has increased its annual production capacity 10-fold to 5 million tonnes. The recent start-up of the fifth polypropylene plant in Ruwais will boost Borouge’s polypropylene production to meet growing demand for infrastructure and consumer solutions. With the company’s expansion of strategic partnerships with recycling companies this year, Borouge positions itself as an end-to-end solutions provider of both virgin and recycled polyolefins.

At K 2022, Borealis and Borouge announced a number of new technologies, innovations, partnerships and strategic business approaches to further accelerate the transition to a circular economy:

Borealis announced the first-of-its-kind Borcycle M commercial-scale advanced mechanical recycling plant: Borealis is taking another important step towards expanding its advanced mechanical recycling capabilities. A commercial-scale plant will be operational in 2025, to be located in Schwechat, Austria, with the capacity to produce over 60 kilotonnes of circular solutions and compounds per year.

Borealis announced the launch of the Borstar Nextension Technology: which broadens range of polypropylene (PP) properties thanks to Borstar performance and single-site Borstar Nextension catalysts, the company claims. The proprietary technology drives plastics circularity by simplifying design for recycling, Borealis say. Novel proprietary Borstar Nextension catalysts produced at newly-built Borealis plant in Porvoo, Finland.

Borealis launched two new grades of BorPure flexible food packaging based on Borstar Nextension PP Technology: The company says these BorPure film grades improve both the performance and sustainability of flexible and thermoformed food packaging. As well as being designed for eco-efficiency and recyclability, Borealis claims, these solutions can also be tailored for superior optics and surface functionality, high purity, and sealing and bonding, supporting customers to drive circularity in plastics without compromising on performance.

Borealis unveiled its new CO2e emissions calculation tool Neoni: A digital tool to offer grade-specific calculations for polyolefins, containing cradle-to-gate CO2e emissions data for over 500 Borealis grades produced in Europe.

Borealis and Borouge presented fully recyclable monomaterial pouch solutions: Borealis and Borouge announce the launch of three all-polyethylene (PE) pouches, a new generation of monomaterial pouch solutions designed for mechanical recycling in existing flexible PE waste streams, and suitable for demanding applications, the company says.

Borouge expands recycling partnerships in 2022: Since signing its first recycling partners in 2021, Borouge now has 12 partnerships across 7 countries serving its key territories in Asia Pacific and the Middle East.

Borouge develops closed-loop solution for heavy duty shipping sacks (HDSS): Borouge worked closely with partners, Han King Plastic Machinery, Kunshan Golden Alliance, Shanghai Longstone and Shanghai Tianqiang, to develop a closed-loop PE for HDSS with the objective of developing a sustainable solution with a lower carbon footprint. Typically, HDSS material is purposefully designed for superior performance to facilitate and protect goods in various environments during logistics and handling. With this new closed-loop solution based upon the collection and recycling of used HDSS bags, the same application can now be made with recycled HDSS material without compromising on packaging integrity and performance, Borouge claims.

Borealis is one of the world’s leading providers of advanced and sustainable polyolefin solutions for key industries such as consumer products, energy, healthcare, infrastructure and mobility. In Europe, it is a market leader in base chemicals and fertilizers. With head offices in Vienna, Austria, the company employs 6,900 people and operate in over 120 countries. In 2021, it generated total sales of EUR 12.342 EUR billion and a net profit of EUR 1,396 million. OMV, the Austria-based international oil and gas company, owns 75% of its shares, while the remaining 25% is owned by a holding company of the Abu-Dhabi based Mubadala. It supply services and products to customers around the globe through Borealis and two important joint ventures: Borouge (with the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, or ADNOC, based in UAE); and Baystar, a joint venture with TotalEnergies, based in the US.

Borouge is a leading petrochemical company that provides polyolefin solutions for the energy, infrastructure, mobility, advanced packaging, healthcare and agriculture industries. ADNOC owns a majority 54% stake and Borealis holds a 36% stake in Borouge.

Source: Borealis