INEOS
said its bio-based high-density polyethylene (HDPE) has been used to create a
fully sustainable gas pipeline. Installed by French gas utility operator GRDF,
the pipeline only uses the low-carbon footprint polymer.
The
new one kilometer of pipeline was installed in Clermont Auvergne Métropole, in
the French city of Clermont-Ferrand, as part of a GRDF program to deploy “green”
pipelines in parts of the region, similar the company’s commitment to reduce its
carbon footprint.
“Alongside
the work we are doing to drive down emissions and reduce plastic waste in the
polyolefins industry, it’s another example of our commitment to working with
partners to develop efficient, lower emission solutions for transporting
important utilities and goods around Europe’s cities,” said Rob Ingram, INEOS
Olefins & Polymers North CEO.
The
pipeline is made from bio-based, certified HDPE, supplied by INEOS Olefins
& Polymers Europe. It’s made from wood processing residues from the paper
industry, which are transformed into tall oil, a bio-naphtha. The tall oil is
turned into bio-ethylene in INEOS Cologne and transported to INEOS’ polymer plant
in Lillo, Belgium, where it is used to manufacture bio-based HDPE.
The
result is a polymer with a significantly lower carbon footprint than
conventional, fossil-based polymers and because of this it has been recognized
by the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (or ISCC), an
independent, third-party organization. ISCC have certified that the production
of the pipes laid by GRDF met ISCC Plus standards by replacing the use of
fossil fuel-derived feedstocks to produce the new material.
Importantly,
the bio-polymer has the same technical characteristics as conventional
polymers, enabling a partner like GRDF to meet the highest standards of safety
while reducing the environmental impact of networks it operates on behalf of
local authorities. It also creates the potential for the innovation to be
repeated for other gas and water pipelines. P&GJ