Smart Innovation Norway plays a pivotal role in the EU-funded Plastics2Olefins project, which aims to transform unsorted plastic waste into valuable olefins through advanced pyrolysis technology.

As an independent research and innovation company operating across the Nordics, with teams in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, Smart Innovation Norway holds a strong position in Europe. The company works strategically with energy transition and applied artificial intelligence (AI) – always with user needs and societal impact at the center.

“We combine research, business development, and collaboration to create solutions that are implemented in practice,” says Dr. Alemu Moges Belay, Head of Energy Systems at Smart Innovation Norway.

• Read also: DTU – Using Life Cycle Assessment to Guide Circular Innovation
• Read also: Técnicas Reunidas – Engineering the Future of Circular Solutions

As part of a consortium of 13 partners, Smart Innovation Norway contributes to the project’s sustainability and techno-economic assessment. The innovation company applies cost–benefit analysis (CBA), supports the development of the exploitation strategy, leads communication and dissemination activities, and is responsible for the development of training and learning modules.

“These are critical elements for bridging technical innovation with commercial exploitation and adoption,” comments Dr. Belay.

Driving Sustainability and Replicability

Under Work Package 7 (WP7), Smart Innovation Norway supports comprehensive sustainability evaluations, including life cycle assessment (LCA) as well as feasibility and replicability studies.

“These efforts ensure that the proposed Plastics2Olefins technology and process deliver significant greenhouse gas reductions and align with circular economy principles,” explains Dr. Belay.

This work helps assess the scalability of the solution across diverse industrial and geographical contexts, strengthening the project’s long-term environmental and economic viability.

Leading Exploitation and Outreach

Smart Innovation Norway leads Work Package 8 (WP8), which focuses on exploitation, communication, dissemination, and training. Key responsibilities include:

• Contributing to exploitation strategies and the associated intellectual property frameworks
• Analysing the economic viability of the project solution to support commercialisation
• Developing the project’s visual identity and coordinating communication, dissemination, and outreach activities to enhance visibility
• Creating training and learning modules to equip employees, future taskforces, and key stakeholders with knowledge on high-temperature pyrolysis and sustainable feedstock integration

“These initiatives ensure that technical breakthroughs translate into practical, market-ready solutions,” notes Dr. Belay.

From Pilot to Industrial Demonstration

The Plastics2Olefins project is progressing from pilot activities toward industrial-scale demonstration at Repsol’s site in Spain. Using high-temperature pyrolysis (approximately 700 °C), the process converts unsorted plastic waste into olefin-rich syngas, offering an estimated 70–80% reduction in life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions compared to incineration.

“Smart Innovation Norway’s dual role—combining sustainability analysis with strategic exploitation—positions the organisation as a cornerstone in the project’s transition from research to commercialisation,” says Dr. Belay.

Looking Ahead

As the project approaches further pilot-scale operational trials, Smart Innovation Norway will finalise the techno-economic assessment, complete scalability and replicability analyses, roll out training programmes, and implement exploitation strategies to support successful market uptake.

• Read also: From Pilot Progress to Future Impact: Highlights from GA#8 in Madrid

These efforts underscore the organisation’s commitment to advancing circular innovation and delivering tangible environmental and economic benefits.

“This capital-intensive project has progressed despite its complexity and the high level of ambition it set,” concludes Dr. Belay.

The Plastics2Olefins project has launched a new Replicability Survey to better understand how high-temperature pyrolysis technology can be scaled and implemented across different countries, regions, and conditions.

Today, a large share of plastic waste in Europe remains unsorted and difficult to recycle, often ending up in landfills or incineration. Plastics2Olefins addresses this challenge by developing a high-temperature (>700°C) pyrolysis process to convert unsorted plastic waste into valuable olefins, using 100% renewable electricity at the demonstration plant in Puertollano, Spain.

Why Your Input Matters

The purpose of this survey is to gather insights from project partners and relevant stakeholders on the replicability potential of the Plastics2Olefins technology. Your feedback will help assess how factors such as regional conditions, infrastructure, and regulatory frameworks may influence future deployment of this solution.

The survey:

• Contains 30 questions
• Takes approximately 5–10 minutes to complete
• Uses a simple scale from low to high
• Is open to partners and external stakeholders

Take the Survey

We strongly encourage all Plastics2Olefins partners to participate and to share the survey within your networks. Broad input is essential to ensure robust, realistic insights.

Your contribution will support the next steps in advancing circular and climate-friendly solutions for plastic waste.

As one of Europe’s leading technical universities, the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) brings world-class expertise in sustainability assessment to the Plastics2Olefins project.

By applying advanced life cycle assessment (LCA) methods in Plastics2Olefins, project partner DTU helps ensure that the new process for chemical recycling of plastics delivers real, measurable environmental benefits.

A Technical University with Global Reach

The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) was founded in 1829 by H.C. Ørsted as Denmark’s first polytechnic institution. Today, it is ranked among Europe’s top technical universities and plays a central role in educating the next generation of engineers and researchers.

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DTU currently educates approximately 13,500 students and 1,600 postgraduates, and employs around 6,000 professionals. Its research and education activities span a wide range of engineering and technology disciplines, with strong links to industry, public authorities, and international partners.

Within DTU, the Section for Quantitative Sustainability Assessment focuses on applying quantitative methods to evaluate environmental sustainability across whole life cycles. This work includes life cycle assessment (LCA) and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) assessments, with a strong emphasis on absolute sustainability perspectives through the DTU Absolute Sustainability Centre.

The section is recognised as a global leader in LCA-based method development, providing tools such as the well-known USEtox model. It offers strong research capabilities, cross-sector methods, and a stable PhD programme, while actively fostering collaboration across disciplines and sectors. Excellence lies in initiating new research fields, shifting paradigms from relative to absolute assessments, coordinating global scientific efforts, and translating LCA into practical applications.

DTU’s Role in Plastics2Olefins

The Plastics2Olefins project has an ambitious environmental objective: to significantly cut greenhouse gas emissions compared to current end-of-life options for plastics. In this context, rigorous sustainability assessment is essential.

As part of Work Package 7 (WP7), DTU is responsible for conducting life cycle assessments of the Plastics2Olefins process at both demo and full scales, using data collected from partners across the consortium. This allows the team to evaluate the environmental performance of the new technology in a transparent and science-based way.

“Given that the project’s objective is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by over 70% compared to the current end-of-life options for plastics, the knowledge of LCA is vital in Plastics2Olefins,” says Dr. Mikolaj Owsianiak, Senior Researcher at DTU.

A key part of the work is to compare the new Plastics2Olefins process with existing alternatives:

“The novel process will be compared against the currently predominant low temperature plastic pyrolysis to transparently evaluate potential benefits and tradeoffs,” explains Dr. Owsianiak.

DTU is also involved in the replicability study within WP7, which explores how the process might perform in different regional contexts. This is crucial because environmental impacts are influenced by local conditions such as energy mix, waste management systems, and industrial infrastructure.

“The optimal solution for plastic waste may not be the same between different locations,” notes Dr. Owsianiak.

Promising LCA Insights and Next Steps

The ongoing LCA work is already yielding valuable insights for the Plastics2Olefins consortium.

“The preliminary results of the LCA on the Plastics2Olefins demo scale process are promising within Spanish context,” says Dr. Owsianiak.

As the demo plant design and operation are further refined, remaining assumptions in the assessment will be updated when new data becomes available.

• Read also: From Pilot Progress to Future Impact: Highlights from GA#8 in Madrid

According to DTU’s Senior Researcher, the LCA indicates that the Plastics2Olefins process can offer advantages over benchmark pyrolysis in several key environmental impact categories:

“The LCA shows lower impacts than benchmark pyrolysis in several impact categories, including climate change and fossil resource use, but tradeoffs are predicted in terms of toxicity and mineral resource use due to the implementation of 95% renewable electricity.”

Even with these tradeoffs, the findings are encouraging for the project’s future:

“Nevertheless, the benefits are not only due to green energy use, which is encouraging for the further development of the process,” concludes Dr. Owsianiak.

By combining cutting-edge LCA methodologies with a strong focus on absolute sustainability, DTU helps ensure that Plastics2Olefins not only advances technological innovation, but also delivers genuine environmental benefits in the transition towards a more circular plastics economy.

At the 8th General Assembly in Madrid, Plastics2Olefins partners gathered to push the boundaries of circular innovation and accelerate progress toward industrial-scale chemical recycling.

The Plastics2Olefins consortium met on 20 November 2025 for its 8th General Assembly (GA), hosted by Repsol at the state-of-the-art Repsol Technology Lab in Móstoles, Madrid.

• Read also: Accelerating Circular Innovation: Plastics2Olefins General Assembly #7 Held in Madrid

The meeting brought together project partners from across Europe and Thailand to review progress, align on technical developments, and plan the next steps toward transforming plastic waste into high-value olefins.

With a full programme including work package presentations, in-depth discussions, and a guided pilot plant visit, the GA#8 marked another important milestone in the project’s journey.

Morning Highlights: Reviewing Progress Across Work Packages

The meeting opened with a welcome from the project coordinator Rebeca Yuste (Repsol) before partners presented updates from the last six months, results achieved, and upcoming activities.

The morning session featured contributions from all technical and management work packages (WP):

• WP1 – Project Coordination (PNO Innovation)
• WP2 – Pre-treatment and Pyrolysis Optimisation (Repsol)
• WP3 – Downstream Process Optimisation (CIEMAT)
• WP4 – Digitalisation and Renewable Energy Integration (Repsol)
• WP5 – Technical Integration and Engineering (Técnicas Reunidas)
• WP7 – Sustainability Assessment & Replicability (DTU)
• WP8 – Exploitation, Communication & Dissemination (SIN)

Partners discussed key achievements, remaining technical challenges, pilot progress, downstream optimisation tasks, sustainability modelling, and engineering design for the future demonstration plant.

Visiting the Repsol Technology Lab and Pilot Plant

A highlight of the day was the guided tour of the Repsol Technology Lab and the Plastics2Olefins pilot plant, offering partners a firsthand look at the technological advances driving the project.

• Read also: Presenting the Partners: Repsol Leads the Way in Chemical Recycling with Plastics2Olefins

Seeing the ongoing work on pyrolysis, gas cleaning, condensation systems, and process integration provided valuable insights into the next steps required for scaling the technology toward demonstration level.

Afternoon Deep Dive: Lessons Learned and Strategic Alignment

In the afternoon, partners engaged in an intensive review session covering Periodic Report learnings, Description of Action compliance, resource use by WP, and financial status across beneficiaries.

The open discussion format allowed partners to align on:

• Cross-WP technical dependencies
• Data needs for upcoming reports
• Key bottlenecks and research requirements
• Preparations for upcoming evaluations and project milestones

Reflecting on the work ahead, partners acknowledged both the complexity and the ambition of the project. As one participant noted:

“This is one of the complex projects with high ambition that needs detailed engineering work, good knowledge of techno-economics analysis, and deeper regulations.”

The session concluded with agreement on action points, next steps, and expectations to continue the project implementation.

Looking Ahead: Commitment to Collaboration and Impact

The 8th General Assembly underscored the strong collaboration and shared ambition across the Plastics2Olefins consortium. While significant progress has been made in pilot plant development, sustainability modelling, engineering design, and digital integration, partners also highlighted the need for intensified research and continued alignment.

• See also: Plastics2Olefins videos

The consortium remains committed to delivering a robust, scalable chemical recycling process capable of converting complex plastic waste into valuable olefins. This will contribute to Europe’s transition toward a more circular, resource-efficient, and climate-neutral future.

From renewable energy to sustainable waste management, University of Castilla-La Mancha is educating the next generation of engineers and innovators—while actively contributing to the Plastics2Olefins project’s mission of building a circular economy.

Founded in 1982 and welcoming its first students in 1985, University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) was established to provide higher education across the Castilla-La Mancha region.

• Read also: Presenting the Partners: Holcim – Committed to Circular and Low-Carbon Solutions

Today, the university serves more than 31,000 students—including 28,264 undergraduates and 3,196 postgraduates—across seven campuses in Albacete, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, Toledo, Talavera de la Reina, and Almadén.

UCLM offers bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in all major disciplines. Research has become a cornerstone of UCLM’s development, with institutes specializing in science, engineering, law, and health.

A Regional University with Global Impact

“Our scientific output is indexed in leading databases and shows a growing citation impact,” explains José María Monteagudo, Full Professor in Chemical Engineering, noting that the university’s work is increasingly recognized in global rankings such as THE and QS (regional category).

Collaboration is central to UCLM’s success. The university works closely with hospitals, industries, and public institutions, while actively participating in national and EU-funded projects to foster innovation.

Through programs like Erasmus and global partnerships, UCLM promotes internationalization and knowledge exchange, ensuring that students and researchers can develop their training.

“Together, these achievements confirm UCLM’s development as a regionally rooted institution with increasing research impact, innovation, and international visibility,” adds Monteagudo.

UCLM’s Role in Plastics2Olefins

Within the Plastics2Olefins project, UCLM’s IMAES research group has organized a series of workshops on “Decarbonization Technologies for Waste Valorization”. Delivered in collaboration with project partner Repsol, these workshops provide master’s students and professionals with cutting-edge training in waste-to-resource technologies.

• Read also: Presenting the Partners: VTT – Pioneering Gas Purification Solutions for Plastic Waste Valorisation

The program covers Gasification, Pyrolysis, Anaerobic Digestion, and Fermentation, and participation is recognized with 1 ECTS credit.

“The target audience included master’s students in Industrial or Chemical Engineering from any university, as well as professionals seeking to develop or strengthen their training in this field,” says Monteagudo.

Educating the Next Generation for a Circular Economy

By integrating Plastics2Olefins activities into its teaching, UCLM prepares future engineers to lead the transition to a circular economy.

“This initiative reflects UCLM’s commitment to sustainability and its contribution to advancing European decarbonization goals,” concludes Monteagudo.

Through its strong research culture, international partnerships, and dedication to sustainability, UCLM is proving how universities can drive meaningful change—making it a vital partner in the Plastics2Olefins project and a key contributor to Europe’s green transition.

As a key partner in the Plastics2Olefins project, Acteco applies its advanced pre-treatment capabilities to prepare plastic waste for cutting-edge chemical recycling technologies, helping transform previously non-recyclable plastics into valuable resources.

With nearly 30 years of expertise in industrial waste management, plastic recycling, and environmental consultancy, Acteco is driving Spain’s transition towards a more circular and resilient economy.

In a context of growing geopolitical tension, energy vulnerability, and climate crisis, the circular economy and renewable fuels stand out as two essential pillars for strengthening Spain’s strategic autonomy. In a country where external energy dependence exceeds 70%, it is urgent to transform the production model into one that is more resilient, sustainable, and capable of generating economic and social value within the territory.

Leading the Way in Spanish Waste Management

Over the past three decades, Acteco has established itself as a leading company in comprehensive waste management, plastic recycling, and environmental consultancy, offering sustainable solutions to businesses across all sectors. Its commitment to the circular economy and technological innovation positions it as a benchmark in the treatment of industrial and commercial waste.

Acteco stands out not only for its technical expertise in advanced recycling, but also for its national infrastructure, which includes more than 10 transfer and treatment plants strategically located across Spain. Thanks to this network, the company manages over 145,000 tonnes of industrial waste annually, including 63,000 tonnes of recovered hazardous waste and 32,000 tonnes of recycled plastic, making it a key player in the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient production model.

“We are present in more than 10 Spanish provinces, where we operate transfer plants to manage waste. All of this is made possible thanks to a large fleet that enables us to work across the entire national territory. These facilities allow us to offer nationwide coverage, optimise waste logistics, and ensure an efficient and legally compliant service for both hazardous and non-hazardous waste,” says Julio Pérez, Business Developer at Acteco.

Acteco’s Role in Plastic2Olefins

In the Plastic2Olefins project, Acteco is involved in Work Package 2 (WP2), acting as the pre-treatment operator for the waste. With its extensive experience in the recycling sector, Acteco possesses in-depth knowledge of the best techniques for preparing waste according to the type of recycling to be carried out, whether mechanical or chemical.

Moreover, as an industrial waste manager, Acteco is also working in parallel on identifying potential waste streams that currently cannot be recycled through mechanical means.

“Once the waste is tested and validated by our partner Repsol, it will become a new source of raw material suitable for recycling, which will increase recycling rates and contribute to the production of circular polyolefins,” explains Pérez.

From Complex Plastics to Valuable Resources

The Plastics2Olefins project represents an innovative and complementary solution to traditional mechanical recycling, especially for complex or contaminated plastic waste that cannot be processed using conventional methods.

Through technologies such as pyrolysis, this waste is broken down, enabling the production of new plastic materials or alternative fuels.

“This process significantly contributes to reducing plastic waste in landfills, decreases dependence on fossil resources, and supports the decarbonisation of industry by closing the material life cycle. Furthermore, it allows value to be recovered from plastic fractions that were previously considered non-recyclable, driving a more efficient and sustainable circular economy,” concludes Pérez.

As a key enabler of effective project execution, PNO Innovation GmbH supports the Plastics2Olefins project with expert guidance in grant administration, compliance, and strategic coordination. With decades of experience in European R&I funding, the consulting company helps ensure that the project meets the highest standards of quality, accountability, and impact.

PNO Innovation Germany (formerly ARTTIC Innovation) is a one-stop-shop consultancy based in Germany, specializing in public funding, research and innovation (R&I) project management, communication, and stakeholder engagement.

• Read also: Accelerating Circular Innovation: Plastics2Olefins General Assembly #7 Held in Madrid

The company has supported innovative organisations and leading scientists for more than 40 years in navigating the European and national funding ecosystems. According to their own website, PNO Innovation is the reliable partner to work towards improving global health, promoting energy efficiency, safe and clean mobility and aviation, in making societies more resilient, secure, and inclusive and European defence capabilities stronger.

As an integral part of the PNO Group, the company is fully committed to their research clients and partners:

“We are passionate about their ambitions and help them to innovate and tackle global societal challenges. What unites us all is the desire and ability to innovate sustainably.”

Strategic Backbone for Management and Compliance

Within the Plastics2Olefins project, PNO Innovation brings strategic expertise in grant administration, financial supervision, and supporting project management services.

“Our role includes assisting the project coordinator with accurate budget and effort monitoring, ensuring compliance with funding requirements, and maintaining high standards in periodic and final reporting and reviews towards the European Commission,” explains Raquel Moreno, Expert Consultant at PNO Innovation.

By delivering robust quality assurance assistance throughout the project lifecycle, her company helps strengthen the integrity and efficiency of all administrative and financial processes.

“Our services and guidance are designed to support the consortium in achieving high-quality results, fostering synergies that contribute to the project’s success and long-term sustainability,” ensures Moreno.

Delivering Results: Reporting and Reviews

The Plastics2Olefins project recently passed a significant milestone: the submission of its second periodic report. With the dedicated coordination support of PNO Innovation, all project partners were able to submit high-quality technical documentation and reporting, indicating their accomplishments in accordance with the European Commission’s reporting standards.

“Our guidance ensures compliance with formal requirements and helps position the consortium for continued success in the upcoming phases of the project,” says Moreno.

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PNO Innovation also played a key role in supporting the preparation of the consortium for the successful second review meeting, conducted by the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) at the end of June.

“The review evaluated the progress made to date and the mid-term results, with particular attention to technical advancements and alignment with the project’s strategic objectives,” summarises Moreno.

As the project advances toward its next stages, PNO Innovation continues to ensure that the administrative and financial foundations remain strong.

The Plastics2Olefins (P2O) consortium convened for its 7th General Assembly on June 11, 2025, hosted by Técnicas Reunidas in Madrid, Spain.

Held at the ADEQUA complex, the meeting brought together project partners from across Europe and our partner in Thailand to share progress, discuss key technical developments, and align on the next steps for the project’s ambitious goal: transforming plastic waste into high-value olefins.

• Read also: Presenting the Partners: Holcim – Committed to Circular and Low-Carbon Solutions

The day featured detailed presentations from work package leaders, open discussions on project challenges and breakthroughs, and a dedicated rehearsal session for the upcoming project review meeting.

“This gathering marked a turning point as we align on final integration and testing steps before moving into the demonstration phase,” says Raquel Moreno, Expert Consultant at PNO Innovation.

Morning Highlights: WP Progress and Strategic Outlook

The morning began with a warm welcome and project overview by our project coordinator Rebeca Yuste (Repsol). Presentations then focused on technical progress across several key areas:

• WP1 – Project Coordination: Raquel Moreno, from PNO Innovation, highlighted administrative updates and strategic coordination, including the upcoming periodic report #2 and reporting timeline, with an outline of the review meeting with HaDEA (EC).
• WP2 – Pre-treatment and Pyrolysis Optimisation:  Maité Huron (ETIA) as WP leader and other partners involved in the WP presented progress in feedstock preparation and optimization of pyrolysis conditions.
• WP3 – Downstream Process Optimisation: Michal Jeremias (VTT) shared advancements in revalorisation of tar-like fractions and purification of pyrolysis gases.
• WP4 – Digitalisation and Renewable Energy Integration: Prasanth Nadukandi and Noemi González (Repsol) demonstrated digital tools for process simulation and renewable energy planning.
• WP5 – Technical Integration and Engineering: Bernardo Herrera (TRSA) discussed the conceptual design and basic integration strategy towards the demo plant.
• WP7 – Sustainability and Replicability Assessment: Marja Elina (DTU) presented ongoing work on LCA modelling and replication potential studies.
• WP8 – Exploitation, Communication, Dissemination, and Training: Alemu Belay (Smart Innovation Norway) updated on communication and dissemination activities and KPIs achievement, learning modules, IPR and exploitation.

Following the technical session, the group gathered for a networking business lunch.

Afternoon Rehearsal Session: Preparing for What’s Next

The afternoon focused on an intensive Review Meeting rehearsal session led by WP and task leaders. The session allowed teams to align timing for the upcoming review and prepare communication of technical insights across the consortium.

The day concluded with a wrap-up session by Rebeca Yuste and Raquel Moreno, summarizing open points, action items, and plans for upcoming meetings.

Strengthening Collaboration Beyond the Meeting Room

Later in the evening, participants gathered for a consortium dinner in central Madrid — offering an informal space for building stronger bonds across partner organisations and continuing fruitful technical and collaboration discussions.

• Read also: Driving Innovation in Circular Economy: Plastics2Olefins Project Advances at GA in Alicante

With coordination tightening and technical integration progressing, the Plastics2Olefins project is now entering its next phase — laying the groundwork and contributing to Europe’s circular and climate-neutral future.

Plastics2Olefins is funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101058032.