East China Petrochemical Group · Kiloton-Scale DMT Chemical Recycling Project
A 1,000 t/y DMT recycling line for an East China petrochemical group: 3,000 t/y waste PET in, polyester-grade DMT out at ≥95% recovery.
Background & client context
- Client
- A leading East China petrochemical group
- Region
- East China
- Scale
- Group revenue ¥20B+ · A-share listed
- Industry
- Petrochemical
The client is a top-tier integrated petrochemical group in East China, with core businesses in PTA, polyester, and PET chip production. Annual generation of ~3,000 tons of PET trim, defective sheet and short fiber waste was historically handled by third-party incineration and landfill.
Pressure to disclose Scope 3 and product carbon footprint (PCF), plus China's national 'Strategic Emerging Industries Catalog' listing chemical recycling, prompted the client to build an in-house chemical-recycling line converting waste PET into polyester-grade DMT and EG, closed-loop to downstream PBT / PET / PETG production, with ISCC PLUS mass-balance certification.
After comparing Loop Industries (methanolysis), Carbios (enzymatic), and ResourceCycle's proprietary methanolysis, the client selected ResourceCycle as exclusive technology licensor and equipment supplier based on local equipment integration, catalyst stability, capex per ton, and continuous operation evidence.
Pre-engagement pain points
- 01High waste-plastic disposal cost
- Incineration/landfill of waste PET cost ¥800-1,200/ton, with hazardous-waste transport, registration, and regulatory risk pushing annual disposal spend above ¥3.6M.
- 02Group ESG + Scope 3 disclosure pressure
- Downstream brand customers (food & beverage, textile leaders) require 50%+ recycled plastic by 2030, cascading to upstream PET supply chain for low-carbon PCF and traceable recycled feedstock.
- 03Volatile PTA feedstock pricing
- PTA price swung 23% in 2024 plus PX maintenance cycles. The group needed in-loop DMT supply to reduce reliance on external PTA procurement.
- 04Lack of chemical-recycling scale-up experience
- The group had only mechanical PET recycling lines, lacking methanolysis engineering, catalyst R&D, and purification operations. They needed a mature technology partner.
ResourceCycle delivery
GREEN CIRCLE methanolysis process licensing
ResourceCycle's proprietary low-temperature (160°C), atmospheric-pressure methanolysis process with Zn-Mn binary + chelating resin recovery catalyst system. 32% energy reduction vs traditional high-T/high-P process; reaction time under 2 hours.
1,000 t/y modular DMT production line
Modular skid design: pretreatment (crush / dry / sieve), reactor train (3 × 5 m³), 4-stage distillation, crystallization separation, packaging. 2,000 m² footprint; ¥85M capex.
Polyester-grade DMT + EG co-product
Per ton waste PET yields 0.30 t polyester-grade DMT (≥99.9% / color ≤5 APHA) + 0.18 t high-purity EG (≥99.9%). Both reused in downstream PBT / PET polymerization — no intermediate sales.
ISCC PLUS + ISO 14067 full certification
ResourceCycle + SGS completed ISCC PLUS mass-balance certification, ISO 14067 product carbon footprint report, and ISO 14001 environmental management external audit — full ESG document pack for brand customer submission.
Operations handover + continuing technical support
12-month on-site engineering presence: DCS parameter tuning, catalyst lifetime monitoring, batch COA trend analysis, operator training (36 hours). Remote support + annual technology upgrade package thereafter.
Phases & deliverables
- 01
Phase 01 · Needs assessment & feasibility
Mar - Apr 2024 (2 months)
Sample analysis, preliminary PCF model, ROI estimate, feasibility report
- 02
Phase 02 · Engineering design & equipment manufacturing
May - Sep 2024 (5 months)
Process package, PFD/P&ID, manufacturing supervision, safety assessment, EIA approval
- 03
Phase 03 · Construction & mechanical completion
Oct - Dec 2024 (3 months)
Civil works, equipment installation, piping, E&I, mechanical completion handover
- 04
Phase 04 · Commissioning & performance testing
Jan - Mar 2025 (3 months)
DCS commissioning, 72 h hot run, 72 h performance test, first COA issued
- 05
Phase 05 · Commercial operation
Apr 2025 onwards
Stable 8-month operation, 75 t/month DMT average, zero safety incidents
KPIs & delivered value
| Metric | Achieved | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Waste PET processed | 3,000 t/y | 100% closed-loop in-group consumption |
| DMT output | ≥900 t/y | Polyester-grade, ≥99.9% purity |
| EG by-product | ≥540 t/y | Reused in PET polymerization |
| Waste PET recovery rate | 95.3% | 12 pp above industry average |
| Energy per ton DMT | 1,180 kWh | 32% lower than PTA route |
| CO₂ saved per ton | 1.4 t | ISO 14067 third-party verified |
| Annual CO₂ reduction | 1,260 t CO₂e | Equivalent to 720 households annual emission |
| Economic uplift | +40% | Feedstock substitution + disposal saving + EG sales |
| Payback period | 3.4 years | Includes equipment + EPC + commissioning |
| ISCC PLUS certification | Obtained | Enables brand green procurement |
「ResourceCycle's chemical-recycling DMT didn't just substitute part of our purchased feedstock — more importantly, it gave us a complete ISCC PLUS + ISO 14067 documentation chain, letting us enter brand green procurement systems as a 'low-carbon polyester supplier' for the first time, securing 42,000 tons of 2026-2028 long-term contracts.」
A leading East China petrochemical group
Group VP Technology
- 01Annual CO₂e reduction ≥1,260 t (equivalent to 70,000 mature trees of annual carbon sequestration)
- 023,000 t/y waste PET 100% resource utilization, avoiding incineration and landfill
- 0332% lower energy + 21% lower water vs traditional PTA route
- 04ISCC PLUS mass-balance certification embedded in brand green procurement lists
- 05ISO 14067 PCF report directly usable in brand customer Scope 3 disclosure
Related products & technology
- 01Dimethyl Terephthalate (DMT) Product — CAS 120-61-6 →
- 02Ethylene Glycol (EG / MEG) Product — CAS 107-21-1 →
- 03GREEN CIRCLE methanolysis process technology →
- 04National policy: chemical recycling as strategic emerging industry →
- 05DMT market outlook & brand recycled plastic commitments →
- 06Contact sales: DMT quote, sample request, COA →
Discuss a similar project
Submit your waste PET source, capacity needs and goals. ResourceCycle replies with feasibility assessment + initial scheme within 24 hours.