Quantafuel’s plastics recycling plant about to take shape on Wearside

Sunderland’s place in the green transition is set to be enhanced this year with work beginning on Quantafuel’s new plastics recycling plant on a 12-acre site on the eastern edge of the Port of Sunderland.

The development, granted planning permission in February, will eventually create more than 100 jobs processing plastic waste that is usually not recycled in the UK.

Quantafuel Sunderland – a subsidiary of Quantafuel, a specialist recycling company based in Norway – will take mixed plastic waste from across the north of England that would otherwise have been incinerated or disposed of in land fill.

Using pyrolysis technology, the materials will be heated in the absence of oxygen so they melt and break down into raw materials (pyrolysis oils) that can be used again in the manufacture of new products, including high-grade plastics.

It will be the first plant operated by Quantafuel in the UK to recycle plastics, which reduces C02 emissions by around 70% compared to incineration.

Construction is expected to get underway this year, with the plant opening in 2025.

The new plant will support 200 jobs during construction and create over 100 new, full-time posts when it opens.

The ‘green’ jobs available will range from highly-skilled mechanical and chemical engineering posts, to management roles, finance, operatives, security, and cleaning.

Apprenticeship and training positions will also be available.

Quantafuel is already working with Sunderland College and is in discussion with local universities and training centres to ensure positions are made available to people in the area. It has also given an undertaking to liaise with the community in the East End of Sunderland about vacancies.

Winifred Patricia Johansen, director of Quantafuel Sunderland: “Our ambition is to create a long-term, sustainable alternative to incineration and landfill for dealing with plastics.

“We’re hoping to open similar plants across the UK but chose Sunderland as our first development as the port provides an ideal location, and the city has a good, skilled workforce to draw on.

“Working with the local community is extremely important to us. We met with Sunderland College and members of the East End community last year and we hope to develop those relationships further as the plant takes shape.

“We will be holding job fairs and community liaison events to ensure local people gain real benefits from Quantafuel Sunderland, including quality training and job opportunities.”

The plant will be designed to process around 100,000 tonnes of low value plastic waste, such as soft food packaging and a variety of domestic and industrial plastics.

The raw materials produced in the plant will be shipped from the port to customers in the petrochemical industry to be used again, while self-generated gas (NCG) will be used to power the plant.