A pioneering recycling firm named Remarkable Energy is in negotiations to become the first tenant at the newly envisioned Grangemouth green energy hub. The company has developed an innovative technology in plastics recycling, in collaboration with Heriot-Watt University, that promises to enhance the quality of recycled materials. Following the closure of Scotland’s only oil refinery, owned by Petroineos, Remarkable Energy is eager to establish its operations in Grangemouth this year to attract skilled workers that may now be available.
The refinery’s closure, following a century of operations, coincided with the Scottish and UK governments’ Project Willow report. This report outlines various strategies for the site as it transitions away from fossil fuels. Among the proposed options is the transformation of waste plastics into high-grade materials. Remarkable Energy aims to locate its facility on the Grangemouth site by partnering with the refinery’s owner to identify feasible locations.
Remarkable Energy stands out for its approach to recycling, specifically targeting hard-to-recycle plastics, such as waste agricultural film. Their method employs a thermal catalytic cracking process, converting plastics into crude oil-like liquids that can subsequently be refined into building blocks for new plastics. Ed Douglas Miller, the company’s founder, highlights the urgency of improving recycling rates given the overwhelming amount of plastic consumption and the current low recycling figures.
Currently, Remarkable Energy’s prototype is capable of processing 4,500 tonnes of plastic annually, with aspirations to scale this capacity to 20,000 tonnes over the next few years at the Grangemouth facility. This expansion could create around 25 skilled jobs in the initial phase, growing to 55 by the end of the decade. Discussions with Scottish Enterprise and government entities are underway to secure funding for this ambitious project.
James Boyce, the chief operating officer, notes that while the company operates similarly to a hydrocarbon processing facility, it aims to move operations swiftly to match the timeline of the refinery’s closure. The urgency of establishing the new facility lies in the potential loss of talent from the local industry, which Remarkable Energy hopes to capitalize on by launching its green recycling initiative in Grangemouth.
