Production of polyolefins (PE/PP), chemicals, catalysts and chemical plastic recycling (MoReTec)
LyondellBasell – Basell Polyolefine GmbH
Wesseling · Hürth-Knapsack · Kerpen · LudwigshafenNew on Amplifa
About LyondellBasell Wesseling-Knapsack
Basell Polyolefine GmbH is a company of the LyondellBasell Group, one of the largest plastics and chemicals companies in the world. At the Wesseling site (2.7 km²), the company operates six production plants, and two further plants at the Hürth-Knapsack site. Products manufactured are polyolefins – polyethylene and polypropylene – in the form of pellets/granules and granulate, as well as the chemicals ethylene, propylene, butadiene and isobutane. The MoReTec plant is in operation in Wesseling, the first single-train chemical recycling plant at industrial scale with an annual capacity of 50,000 tonnes, which converts pre-sorted plastic waste catalytically into feedstock for new plastics. At the Ludwigshafen site (on the BASF site), LYB produces Avant polyolefin catalysts on four lines. In addition to production, the company licenses polyolefin and chemical processes (including Spheripol, Hostalen ACP) worldwide and offers technology services. Customer industries include packaging, automotive, agriculture, medical/pharmaceutical, infrastructure and telecommunications.
- Site
- Wesseling
- Processes
- Production of polyolefins (polyethylene, polypropylene) in the form of pellets/granules and, MoReTec – catalytic chemical recycling of plastics (annual capacity 50,000 tonnes), Production of Avant catalysts for polyethylene and polypropylene (4 production lines), Production of chemicals (ethylene, propylene, butadiene, isobutane), Licensing of polyolefin technologies (Spheripol, Hostalen ACP) and technology services, Mechanical recycling of plastics (collection, sorting, cleaning, processing), Newcycling – solvent-based recycling of multilayer flexible films, Production of fuel ethers
- Materials
- Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Ethylene, Propylene, Butadiene, Isobutane, Naphtha (raw gasoline), Recycled and renewable polymers (CirculenRevive)
- Certificates
- Major Accidents Ordinance (upper class), Regular authority reviews (Cologne district government)
- Founded
- 2008 (mer
- Employees
- 19,200 worldwide;
- Industries
- Packaging, Automotive, Agriculture, Healthcare/Pharma, Consumer goods, Infrastructure
- 01
Cracker processes (steam reformer/splitters OM4, OM6)
- 02
Production of chemicals (ethylene, propylene, butadiene, isobutane)
- 03
Polymerization into polyolefins (OG2, OT3)
- 04
Pellet and granulate production
- 05
Bagging, storage and logistics
- 06
Chemical recycling (MoReTec)
Materials & Processes
Polyethylene
Produced in Wesseling as pellets/granules and granulate and processed into packaging, pipes, automotive fuel tanks and consumer goods.
Polypropylene
Second core product of the site, used among other things for automotive, household goods and packaging.
Ethylene / Propylene
Chemicals from the cracker as feedstock for polymerization.
Butadiene
Obtained in a dedicated butadiene plant at the Wesseling site.
Isobutane
Chemical from Wesseling production.
Naphtha (raw gasoline)
Used as feedstock in the cracker plants.
Catalytic chemical recycling
Converts mixed and flexible plastic waste into pyrolysis oil and gas as feedstock for new plastics.
Solvent-based recycling
Separates polymer types in multilayer flexible films and produces high-purity recyclates.
Polyolefin catalysts (Ziegler-Natta, chromium, metallocene)
Improve efficiency and product quality in PE and PP processes; produced in Ludwigshafen.
Recyclates and renewable polymers
Product line made from chemically and mechanically recycled feedstocks, among others for medical and food packaging.
Sites
Wesseling
DEProduction site: crackers, polymerization, chemicals, MoReTec
- Materials
- Polyethylene, polypropylene, ethylene, propylene, butadiene, isobutane
- Cracker OM6
- Cracker OM4
- Polymerization plant OG2
- Polymerization plant OT3
- Butadiene plant
- MoReTec-1 (chemical recycling, 50,000 t/year)
- Power plant
- Wastewater treatment plant
Hürth-Knapsack
DEPolyolefin production site
- Materials
- Polyolefins
- 2 polyolefin production plants
Kerpen
DETraining site (via Rhein-Erft Akademie Hürth)
Ludwigshafen
DECatalyst production (Avant) on the BASF site
- Materials
- Polyolefin catalysts
- 4 catalyst production lines
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production of polyolefins (polyethylene, polypropylene) in the form of pellets/granules andPlastics | – | – | – | – | Polyethylene, Polypropylene |
| MoReTec – catalytic chemical recycling of plastics (annual capacity 50,000 tonnes)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Plastic waste, Plastic packaging waste |
| Production of Avant catalysts for polyethylene and polypropylene (4 production lines)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Catalysts |
| Production of chemicals (ethylene, propylene, butadiene, isobutane)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Ethylene, Propylene, Butadiene, Isobutane |
| Licensing of polyolefin technologies (Spheripol, Hostalen ACP) and technology servicesEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Mechanical recycling of plastics (collection, sorting, cleaning, processing)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Plastic waste |
| Newcycling – solvent-based recycling of multilayer flexible filmsPlastics | – | – | – | – | Plastic waste |
| Production of fuel ethersPlastics | – | – | – | – | – |
9 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cracker (steam reformer/splitter) | OM6 | – | – | – | Wesseling |
| Cracker (steam reformer/splitter) | OM4 | – | – | – | Wesseling |
| Polymerization plant | OG2 | – | – | – | Wesseling |
| Polymerization plant | OT3 | – | – | – | Wesseling |
| Butadiene plant | – | 1 | – | – | Wesseling |
| MoReTec plant (chemical recycling) | LyondellBasell MoReTec-1 | 1 | 50,000 t annual capacity | – | Wesseling |
| Polyolefin production plant | – | 6 | – | – | Wesseling |
| Polyolefin production plant | – | 2 | – | – | Hürth-Knapsack |
| Catalyst production line | – | 4 | – | – | Ludwigshafen |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality & Safety
The Wesseling plant is classified as an upper-tier establishment under the Major Accidents (Seveso) Ordinance; implementation is regularly reviewed by the Cologne district government (last on-site inspection June 2024). Safety, environment and quality are bundled under a dedicated site management function (safety/environment/quality); accident figures have been below the German industry average for years.
| Evidence | Wesseling |
|---|---|
| Major Accidents Ordinance (upper class) | |
| Regular authority reviews (Cologne district government) |
History
- 1954
Start of technology research by predecessor companies
- 2008
Merger of the Dutch Basell Group with the US company Lyondell to form LyondellBasell (January 2008)
- 2015
Naphtha release from raw gasoline pipeline No. 7 near Köln-Godorf; subsequent remediation up to the MNA phase
- 2022
Foundation of the joint venture Source One Plastics (LYB and 23 Oaks Investment) to supply the MoReTec plant
- 2026
Installation of around 40 office containers for the MoReTec project at Gate 5; Group Q2 net income of USD 559 million