Eastman has selected Longview, Texas as the location for its second molecular recycling facility which will have the capacity to recycle about 110,000 metric tonnes of hard-to-recycle plastic waste
Eastman selected for DOE investment in molecular recycling project in Texas. (Credit: Eastman Chemical Company)
American chemical company Eastman said that its second molecular recycling project in the US has been selected by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to receive funding of up to $375m.
The DOE will now start the award negotiations in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act funding as part of the Industrial Demonstrations Program (IDP).
Eastman has selected Longview, Texas as the location for its second molecular recycling facility.
The chemical company said that the Longview site was selected based on synergies with its already available infrastructure, operations, space, favourable energy supply, and access to feedstock pools in western and central US.
In addition, the location offers sufficient space for onsite renewable energy.
The investment is expected to enhance operations that will get mixed plastic trash ready for processing and depolymerisation of waste by Eastman’s next-generation molecular recycling unit.
Additionally, the funds will be used to build a polymer factory that will provide virgin-quality materials for textiles and packaging.
The molecular recycling facility in Longview is anticipated to have the ability to recycle about 110,000 metric tonnes of hard-to-recycle plastic waste.
According to Eastman, the DOE grant will create over 200 full-time employment options in the Longview region along with over 1,000 temporary construction jobs during the site development.
Eastman board chair and CEO Mark Costa said: “We are excited to build our second U.S. world-scale molecular recycling facility at our existing site in Texas.
“The plant will remove significant waste from the region, enable true circularity and set a new benchmark for decarbonisation. We have decades of history successfully operating in Longview, and this will be a great investment for the local community.”
The DOE has chosen the company to expedite the demonstration of recycled PET with low carbon intensity. Eastman’s Longview project also aligns with the DOE’s goal of encouraging industry-wide transition to a low-carbon future.
Through the award from the DOE, the company intends to assist in the renovation of a community centre for workforce training and development and community outreach needs.
Furthermore, the American chemical firm secured state and municipal tax incentives worth roughly $70m to help fund the project.
Eastman recently finished building its first molecular recycling facility in Kingsport, Tennessee, and has plans to invest in another molecular recycling plant in France.