Recycling at heart of US investment in low carbon

The USA’s ‘Investing in America’ initiative has announced a US$ 6 billion (EUR 5.6 billion) package to support 33 projects to decarbonise energy intensive industries. They include recycling schemes in the metals and chemicals sectors.

Funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, the projects will help accelerate the commercial-scale demonstration of emerging industrial decarbonisation technologies. 

Five projects cover aluminium and metals with the Department of Energy saying ‘After decades of decline, these investments lay the groundwork for a potential rebound of this critical sector’.

Up to US$ 270 million is earmarked for Wieland North America Recycling’s copper facility at Shelbyville in Kentucky. The project enables the recycling of copper scrap and other metals into copper suitable for multiple applications including electric vehicles and semiconductors.

Another is Real Alloy Recycling’s Zero Waste Advanced Aluminum Recycling project, looking to construct the first zero waste salt slag recycling facility in the US. Up to US$ 67.3 million is available for the site at Wabash, Indiana.

Among the seven chemicals and refining schemes is Eastman’s Polyethylene Terephthalate Recycling Decarbonization Project at Longview, Texas. Up to US$ 375 million will be spent on a plastic molecular recycling facility capable of turning polyester trays, coloured and opaque bottles and fabrics into virgin-quality PET.

BASF’s Freeport, Texas facility is getting up to US$ 75 million for syngas production from recycle liquid by products. The syngas will be used as a low-carbon feedstock for BASF’s Freeport operations.

Together, the 33 projects are expected to reduce the equivalent of more than 14 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions each year – an amount equivalent to the annual emissions of three million petrol-powered cars.

‘Spurring on the next generation of decarbonisation technologies in key industries like steel, paper, concrete, and glass will keep America the most competitive nation on Earth,’ says energy secretary Jennifer M. Granholm.