Sustainability : bp and LANXESS partner to make eco-friendly plastics

Specialty chemicals company LANXESS and energy company bp are entering into a strategic partnership for the use of sustainable raw materials in high-tech plastics production. bp will supply sustainably produced cyclohexane to the LANXESS’ production site in Antwerp, Belgium, starting in the fourth quarter of 2021. The sustainable origin of the raw materials is certified according to ISCC Plus rules (“International Sustainability and Carbon Certification”). With this partnership, both companies, which already have a long-standing business relationship, want to significantly advance the production of sustainable plastics.

“The chemical industry plays an important role in the expansion of the circular economy and efficient sustainable management,” says Wolfgang Stückle, Vice President Midstream Refining and Specialities Solutions Europe and Africa of bp. bp uses bio-based and bio-circular feedstocks for the production of “green” cyclohexane. These can be, for example, rapeseed oil or biomass.

“High-performance plastics are the solution for many sustainable products, for example in various e-mobility applications. It is now important to also make the production of this valuable material sustainable. In this context, the use of bio-based raw materials, along with modern recycling processes, is a key lever,” says Marcel Beermann, Head of Global Procurement and Logistics at LANXESS.

LANXESS uses cyclohexane as a precursor in the production of polyamide 6, a high-performance plastic that is used primarily in the automotive industry as well as in the electrical and consumer goods industries.