Chemical
Blue Circle Olefins teams up with Chane to launch circular methanol-to-olefins plant in Rotterdam
The deal secures Blue Circle Olefins a prime co-sited location for its Methanol-to-Olefins (MTO) plant
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By ICN Bureau | February 22, 2026
L-R: Ralph Koekkoek (CEO Blue Circle Olefins), Boudewijn Siemons (CEO Port of Rotterdam Authority), and Fabian Ziegler (CEO Chane).
Blue Circle Olefins has struck a major agreement with Chane to anchor its planned 200-kiloton olefins production facility at Chane’s Terminal Nieuwe Maas in the Port of Rotterdam. The move cements a strategic partnership and accelerates development of a flagship circular chemicals project.
The deal secures Blue Circle Olefins a prime co-sited location for its Methanol-to-Olefins (MTO) plant, positioning the facility at the heart of Europe’s largest port complex. By tapping into Chane’s logistics backbone and storage infrastructure — including handling for renewable methanol feedstocks — the company gains a ready-made platform to fast-track engineering and integration.
Ralph Koekkoek, CEO at Blue Circle Olefins: “We are very pleased to partner with Chane for our ProjectNL in Rotterdam, securing an outstanding location for the development and operation of our MTO facility. After a comprehensive evaluation of potential sites, we are confident this location offers the optimal conditions for the project.
"We are particularly enthusiastic about the synergies available at Chane’s site and its close proximity to our clients in the Port area. This partnership represents an important milestone in our journey, enabling us to move forward with site-specific engineering”
The agreement marks a significant step forward for the circular methanol-to-olefins project, designed to convert renewable methanol into essential chemical building blocks used across plastics and materials manufacturing.
Fabian Ziegler, CEO at Chane: “This agreement demonstrates how Chane’s terminal infrastructure can support the development of new industrial projects. By hosting Blue Circle Olefins at Chane’s Terminal Nieuwe Maas in the Port of Rotterdam, we are providing a well-connected site with the logistics, storage and operational services required to integrate methanol-based feedstocks efficiently into existing port infrastructure. We look forward to supporting Blue Circle Olefins as the project advances into the next development phase.”
For Rotterdam’s industrial cluster — where space is tight and the pressure to decarbonize is mounting — the announcement signals momentum.
Boudewijn Siemons, CEO at Port of Rotterdam: “The Port of Rotterdam is facing a unique challenge with the transition to a sustainable port taking centre stage while available space is becoming increasingly scarce. It is therefore excellent news that Blue Circle Olefins has found the right location at the Chane site for the further development of its circular methanol-to-olefins plant. This underlines the strength of the highly integrated Rotterdam port industrial cluster, where companies can collaborate intensively and benefit optimally from each other thanks to their proximity.”
