The map of chemical recycling in Europe has become a key tool for understanding what is happening with the most complex plastic waste on the continent. Pyrolysis, solvolysis, and gasification are increasingly discussed, but it is often difficult to visualize where these plants are actually located, their capacity, and the current status of the projects. The work of the German Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Research (UMSICHT) brings order to this entire landscape and allows us to see, almost at a glance, how this new industry is developing.
This interactive map not only displays operational facilities and projects under development , but also provides data on capacities, technologies used, and steam cracking plants , serving as a benchmark for the European petrochemical system. Furthermore, it arrives at a critical time: low fossil fuel prices, high energy costs, and significant regulatory uncertainty in the European Union complicate long-term investment decisions.
What is chemical recycling and why does it matter in Europe?
Advanced chemical recycling (or advanced recycling) refers to a set of processes that break down plastic polymers into simpler molecules, either by returning them to their original monomers or by transforming them into usable hydrocarbon mixtures. Unlike mechanical recycling, which involves shredding, washing, and reprocessing, advanced chemical recycling uses heat, chemical reagents, or catalysts to break down the polymer chains.
This family of technologies is particularly interesting because it can process mixed, dirty, or highly degraded plastics that do not perform well in traditional mechanical processes. Furthermore, in many cases the resulting material is of similar quality to virgin plastic, allowing its use in demanding applications, such as food packaging, where regulatory requirements are very stringent.
In the European context, where plastic waste management remains a challenge, chemical recycling is seen as a way to increase recycling rates and reduce dependence on virgin fossil resources . It is not intended to replace mechanical recycling, but rather to complement it: each technology is better suited to certain waste streams and material qualities.
The European Environment Agency estimates that the plastics value chain in the EU alone generates around 193 million tons of CO₂ per year, considering production, processing, and waste management. A significant portion of these emissions is linked to manufacturing using fossil fuels, so closing the loop through recycling—both mechanical and chemical—is one of the clearest ways to reduce this climate footprint.
The Fraunhofer UMSICHT interactive map on chemical recycling
The Fraunhofer UMSICHT institute has developed an interactive map that compiles chemical recycling activities in Europe , updated to October 2025. This tool includes both plants in operation and projects in different stages of development, indicating the technology applied, the nominal treatment capacity and the progress status.
The map's scope is broad, focusing on six major families of chemical or advanced recycling technologies : pyrolysis, gasification, solvent-based processes, solvolysis, enzymatic technologies, and hydrothermal processes. Additionally, a separate layer depicts the location and capacities of European steam crackers, which is key to understanding how chemical recycling products can be integrated into the petrochemical industry.
According to the data collected, the map identifies 65 projects in the pipeline (excluding steam cracking units), spread across the continent. These projects represent a planned chemical recycling capacity of 2.799 kt/a (thousands of tons per year), considering only initiatives under development and excluding both operational facilities and cancelled projects.
In addition, 18 plants currently in operation are listed , with a combined capacity of 289 kt/a. Of this capacity, 262 kt/a correspond to pyrolysis technologies, 19 kt/a to solvolysis processes, and 8 kt/a to solvent-based solutions. For now, the map does not show any operational gasification plants, indicating that this technology is still in its early stages, at least on a commercial scale.
Looking at the overall capabilities—both those already operational and those planned—the technological distribution is quite uneven: pyrolysis accounts for 1.938 kt/a , gasification 860 kt/a , solvent-based processes 68 kt/a, solvolysis 102 kt/a , enzymatic routes 50 kt/a, and hydrothermal technologies 70 kt/a. In other words, the chemical recycling economy in Europe today is heavily oriented towards pyrolysis and, to a lesser extent, gasification.
The map also shows that not all projects come to fruition : nine chemical recycling initiatives with a combined capacity of 819 kt/a have been officially cancelled, including seven pyrolysis projects with a total capacity of 791 kt/a. These figures reflect the economic, regulatory, and technical challenges that still plague this sector.
Spain's position on the map of European chemical recycling
Spain features prominently in Fraunhofer's report, with several facilities in operation and projects under development . According to the various sources cited, the country has a number of pyrolysis plants, steam crackers, and a large gasification project in the planning stage.
Regarding operational pyrolysis plants, the map identifies facilities in Ascó (Tarragona), Seville, and Almería . The Ascó plant, managed by 2G Chemical Plastic Recycling, has an approximate capacity of 9 kt/a; the Seville plant, operated by Plastic Energy, reaches 33 kt/a; and the Almería facility, also operated by Plastic Energy, has a capacity of around 5,5 kt/a.
In the area of steam cracking, the map identifies as active a cracker in Tarragona operated by Dow , with a capacity of 675 kt/a, and another in Puertollano (Ciudad Real). These facilities are part of the petrochemical context in which chemical recycling products, such as pyrolysis oils or synthesis gases, could be integrated to manufacture new monomers and polymers.
Regarding projects in the pipeline, two initiatives stand out: on the one hand, a pyrolysis plant in Jerez de la Frontera (Cádiz) , associated with Valoriza, with pyrolytic technology and an announced capacity of around 20 kt/a; on the other hand, the Eco-gasification plant promoted by Repsol in El Morell (Tarragona), developed with Enerkem technology, with a planned capacity of around 400 kt/a, which would place it as one of the reference facilities in Europe in this field.
Some sources also mention the existence of five or six plants in operation , depending on whether only chemical recycling technologies are counted or steam crackers are also included. In any case, the overall picture indicates that Spain already has a small but significant chemical recycling ecosystem and aims to expand its capacity, especially through larger-scale gasification and pyrolysis projects.
Regulatory context and competitiveness challenges in the EU
The deployment of chemical recycling in Europe depends not only on technology or investment; it is also heavily influenced by a regulatory framework still under development . As Professor Matthias Franke of Fraunhofer UMSICHT points out, specific European regulations are still not fully defined, and their transposition into national legislation is still pending.
At the same time, economic factors such as relatively low fossil fuel prices , high energy costs in Europe, and the influx of low-cost recycled materials from Asia are putting pressure on the competitiveness of both mechanical and chemical recycling. All of this increases the perceived risk for investors and has contributed to the suspension or cancellation of some projects.
One of the most important debates in Brussels revolves around the methodology for calculating the performance of chemical recycling , particularly the approach known as "Fuel Use Exempt." How this methodology is defined will determine, for example, whether pyrolysis oil used to produce new plastics can be counted as recycled content—a crucial factor for the industry to meet mandatory recycled content targets in packaging and other products.
This discussion has a direct impact on the business model of many plants: if the pyrolysis oil used as a raw material for new polymers is not recognized as recycled, the regulatory demand for this material could fall , affecting the profitability of the facilities. Conversely, a clear and favorable regulatory framework could become the definitive push needed to consolidate the industry.
In addition to regulatory issues, many advanced technologies still face challenges related to operational stability, performance, and product quality . In some cases, these are processes that have only been in operation at an industrial scale for a few years and are still undergoing optimization. This results in frequent downtime, high maintenance costs, and variability in the properties of the resulting products.
Overview of plastics recycling in Europe and the role of chemical recycling
Across the European Union, recycling is the most common method for managing plastic waste, accounting for approximately 40,7% of the volume processed. Energy recovery, through incineration that generates heat, electricity, or fuel, represents about 35%. The remainder mostly ends up in landfills or as unintended waste.
The recycling rate for plastic packaging waste has gradually increased, rising from around 25,2% in 2005 to 40,7% in 2022. Even so, millions of tons of plastic waste are still not being properly utilized. A significant portion—around 1,3 million tons in 2023—was exported outside the EU, sometimes to countries with weaker environmental or traceability standards.
For years, a considerable fraction of this waste was sent to China for recycling, but restrictions imposed by that country on waste imports have forced Europe to seek internal solutions, intensifying the debate on new recycling capacities and emerging technologies such as chemical recycling.
The problem goes far beyond mere waste management: every year, an estimated 19 to 23 million tons of plastic end up in soils, rivers, and oceans worldwide. This not only damages ecosystems but also affects food production, tourism, fishing, and numerous other economic activities. Added to this is the climate impact: in 2019, plastics generated around 1.800 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions, approximately 3,4% of global emissions.
If the way plastic is produced, used, and managed does not change, projections indicate that emissions associated with its life cycle could triple by 2060. In this context, any way to recycle more and better—from mechanical to chemical recycling—is strategic for the EU, for environmental, economic, and resource security reasons.
Chemical recycling technologies: thermal depolymerization and pyrolysis
Multiple technologies fall under the umbrella of chemical recycling. A primary category is thermal depolymerization , which encompasses processes where the polymer is broken down into monomers or oligomers through the application of heat, without the use of a specific chemical reagent to break the chains. This group includes the pyrolysis of certain plastics, microwave treatments, and very high-temperature processes.
Pyrolysis is typically carried out at temperatures above 450 °C and with relatively long residence times, as a great deal of energy is required to break the carbon-carbon bonds of the polymer chains. During the process, primary reactions occur, yielding the desired products, but also less selective secondary reactions, with the formation of radicals that complicate process control and can reduce yields.
Under suitable conditions, pyrolysis can generate monomers such as ethylene or propylene , although often with low yields and in the presence of numerous byproducts. For this reason, significant R&D efforts are being dedicated to incorporating catalysts that allow operation at lower temperatures, improve selectivity, and increase the fraction of high-value products. If conditions are not optimal, the plastics are transformed into petrochemical mixtures such as synthesis gas or paraffins.
Another option is hydrogenation or hydrocracking , where plastic waste is thermally treated in the presence of hydrogen, generally at temperatures of 400–500 °C and high pressures (between 10 and 100 kPa). Bifunctional catalysts are used here, combining cracking and hydrogenation functions. These are typically transition metals supported in acidic matrices to promote chain breaking and saturation of the resulting fragments.
Hydrocracking yields highly saturated products that can be used directly as fuels or feedstock in refineries , with liquid hydrocarbon yields approaching 85%. The downside is that the use of hydrogen at high pressure and temperature increases the cost of the process and requires very strict safety measures, which may limit its large-scale implementation unless the price of hydrogen is reduced or these plants are integrated into existing industrial complexes.
Classical thermal cracking is also included in this family , in which polymer chains are broken solely by the action of heat in the absence of oxygen, typically between 500 and 800 °C. The result is usually a mixture of liquid, gaseous, and solid hydrocarbons with a very wide molecular weight distribution. The proportion between these fractions depends greatly on the operating temperature and other process parameters.
Dissolution, solvolysis, and other chemical recycling routes
Beyond thermal depolymerization, chemical recycling includes other methods, among them selective plastic dissolution processes . These techniques aim to dissolve the polymer in a suitable solvent to separate it from fillers, additives, inks, or other contaminants, yielding a purified polymeric material that can then be reprocessed. The polymer molecules are not modified, so these processes don't fully fit the definition of mechanical recycling or energy recovery.
Solvolysis is another fundamental building block. Here , the solvent also acts as a reactant, breaking down the polymer chains. Depending on the solvent, different types of chemolysis are distinguished, such as glycolysis, hydrolysis, or methanolysis, often operating with fluids under supercritical conditions. This approach is particularly suitable for condensation polymers, such as PET or polyamides.
In PET hydrolysis , for example, the process is usually carried out in a basic medium (saponification), which facilitates the reaction but necessitates a subsequent treatment stage to convert the product into usable monomers. Its main advantage is that it allows the treatment of colored and mixed waste that poses problems in other processes.
Methanolysis involves applying methanol to PET to break it down into its basic molecules—dimethyl terephthalate and ethylene glycol—which can then be repolymerized to produce virgin-quality resin. It is an advanced and technologically demanding process, but very interesting for waste streams where the goal is to obtain high-performance material.
Glycolysis uses ethylene glycol and is typically carried out under less severe conditions than methanolysis and hydrolysis, thus reducing operating costs. However, it is less effective at treating colored or highly mixed waste. The reaction products can be reused to manufacture PET or as precursors for polyurethane foams and unsaturated polyesters , opening the door to new value chains.
Chemical recycling also includes other chemical depolymerization processes that use specific reagents, such as strong acids or phenolic derivatives, as well as the catalytic cracking of plastic waste. The latter offers advantages over pure thermal cracking, allowing operation at lower temperatures (around 300-400 °C) thanks to the catalyst and enabling better control of product distribution.
An interesting alternative is the catalytic reforming of gases generated in the thermal cracking of plastics, which can yield gasoline, diesel, kerosene, and other valuable products. These routes require significant optimization but offer great potential for integrating chemical recycling into existing refineries and petrochemical complexes.
Combining the different types of processes with the types of plastics that can be treated yields a fairly comprehensive array of options. Nine major polymer groups—such as PE, PP, recycled PVC , PS, PMMA, PET, PA, PC, and PUR—can undergo chemical recycling, although not all respond equally to each technology . Addition polymers (PE, PP, PVC, PS, PMMA) are best suited to thermal depolymerization, while condensation polymers (PET, PA, PC, PUR) are compatible with most chemical treatments.
Dissolution, on the other hand, is applicable to a wide variety of plastics, but from the standpoint of the quality of the recycled material, it is generally considered less satisfactory than thermal depolymerization . In any case, all these routes are at different stages of technological maturity: solvolysis is the most industrially developed, followed by thermal depolymerization, and lastly, dissolution processes.
Synergies between mechanical and chemical recycling and the role of R&D
Mechanical recycling remains the most widespread method of plastic waste recovery in Europe today, thanks to its good performance in terms of energy efficiency and cost , especially when dealing with clean and homogeneous waste streams. However, it has clear limitations: it requires well-separated streams, struggles with complex or heavily contaminated plastics, and materials can only be recycled a limited number of times before their properties degrade.
Chemical recycling comes precisely to fill this gap, offering the possibility of treating plastics that are unsuitable for mechanical recycling and returning them to products that, in many cases, are virtually indistinguishable from virgin materials. This complementarity allows for increased global recycling rates and moves closer to true circularity, while simultaneously reducing the demand for fossil resources.
Technology centers like CIRCE have been working in this field for years, developing and scaling up technologies such as microwave-assisted solvolysis, pyrolysis, and glycolysis . These lines of work are applied to increasingly important waste materials, such as wind turbine blades , photovoltaic modules, and technical textiles, which combine different materials and are difficult to recycle using conventional methods.
In addition to the technical aspects, these organizations foster collaboration among the various stakeholders in the recycling value chain : waste managers, processors, raw material producers, consumer goods manufacturers, public administrations, and regulatory bodies. This collaborative approach is key to ensuring that each waste stream is directed to the most appropriate process and that the resulting products find a market.
The Aragonese technology center participates, for example, in several highly relevant European projects such as Plastice, Redol, Cubic, Digintrace, and Refresh, which explore traceability solutions, new recycling processes, circular business models, and digital tools to optimize the design of recyclable products. Through these types of initiatives, the aim is to accelerate the transition from pilot-scale projects to viable industrial plants.
Taken together, the map of chemical recycling in Europe, data on planned and operational capacities, and the research efforts of centers and companies show a sector in full swing. Although it still faces regulatory uncertainties, cost pressures, and technical challenges, Europe maintains a leading position in innovation in plastic waste management, as reflected in patent applications, even as countries like China, South Korea, and Japan are closing the gap.
Future developments will depend on how the rules of the game are defined in the EU, how quickly key technologies mature, and the ability to integrate chemical recycling with mechanical recycling and the existing petrochemical infrastructure. If these elements come together, Fraunhofer's interactive map could be just the first glimpse of a much denser network of plants, capable of transforming complex waste streams into valuable resources and truly strengthening the European circular economy.
