Aduro Clean Technologies, a clean technology company transforming waste plastics, heavy bitumen, and renewable oils into next-generation resources, has announced it has selected Chemelot Industrial Park (CIP) in Sittard-Geleen, Netherlands, as the site for its planned industrial scale-up facility.

 

The facility will house Aduro’s First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) industrial plant using Hydrochemolytic Technology to chemically recycle waste plastics, building on prior pilot-scale validation. Previously referred to as the Demonstration Plant, the FOAK plant marks Aduro’s next step toward commercial operations and is designed to support further scale-up and optimization after initial launch.

 

Chemelot, one of Europe’s premier chemical industry clusters, offers shared utilities, centralized wastewater treatment, and a streamlined environmental permitting framework. Its long-term goal is to transition toward climate-neutral, circular chemistry, emphasizing non-fossil and circular feedstocks. 

 

The site’s established polymer production and steam cracking operations make it ideal for producing circular hydrocarbon intermediates as fossil-based alternatives.

 

Brightlands Chemelot Campus, an open-innovation and scale-up ecosystem located at Chemelot, provides Aduro with applied research capabilities and shared laboratory infrastructure. Aduro has been active within the Brightlands ecosystem since 2021 as part of its European technology development efforts.

 

The decision follows a thorough site-selection campaign launched in late 2025. After narrowing multiple candidates to four finalists, Aduro chose Chemelot for its technical, industrial, and strategic advantages, including access to robust utilities, proximity to regional steam cracking capacity, feedstock availability, integration into a circular plastics value chain, and alignment with European regulatory frameworks.

 

The FOAK plant is expected to start operations at approximately 10,000 tonnes per year, with the site offering room for phased expansion and long-term industrial presence.

 

“Selecting Chemelot marks a pivotal point in the scale-up pathway we outlined last year,” said Ofer Vicus, Chief Executive Officer of Aduro. 

 

“From the outset, our objective has been to transition from pilot-scale validation to an industrial facility capable of operating under real-world conditions, producing commercially relevant outputs, and supporting future growth. Chemelot provides the infrastructure, industrial integration, and expansion capability required not just for our a First-of-a-Kind facility but rather as a foundation towards a full commercial deployment of increased processing capacity.”

 

Frank Schaap, Business Development Director, Chemelot, added: “We are proud that Aduro has chosen Chemelot as the home for its First-of-a-Kind industrial facility. Their project reinforces our long-term ambition to become a frontrunner in circular and low-carbon chemistry. 

 

"Aduro strengthens the existing ecosystem on our site and contributes to building scalable circular feedstock routes that can be fully embedded in our integrated value chains. This is precisely the type of innovation that accelerates our transition toward a climate-neutral chemical industry.”

 

Astrid Boeijen, CEO, Brightlands Chemelot Campus, said: “At Brightlands Chemelot Campus, we are committed to helping breakthrough technologies make the leap from the lab to industrial reality. Aduro’s scale-up facility fits perfectly with our mission to enable, and support scale up, accelerate innovation and connect companies with the partners and expertise they need to succeed. 

 

"By choosing Chemelot, Aduro becomes part of a strong innovation ecosystem that is jointly shaping the future of circular chemistry. We are excited and proud to support them on this journey toward large-scale impact.”

 

Stephan Satijn, Regional Minister for Economy, Finance and Business Operations, Vice-President of the European Chemical Regions Network, stated: “Aduro’s First-of-a-Kind facility is exactly the kind of investment that strengthens our position as a European leader in circular and climate-neutral chemistry. By converting waste streams into valuable raw materials, projects like this contribute directly to our sustainability goals while reinforcing the industrial backbone of the Netherlands and the Province of Limburg."