Port of Antwerp-Bruges has issued key permits for several circular economy projects, moving the port closer to its goal of climate neutrality by 2050.
Synpet is investing €300 million ($342 million) in a recycling plant at the port, aiming to process around 250,000 tonnes of mixed plastic waste annually, waste that currently cannot be recycled and often ends up in incinerators.
Using patented technology, Synpet aims to convert this waste into a circular substitute for naphtha and natural gas. The company received environmental and building permits for the facility in early June 2026, positioning it as one of the largest recycling plants currently under development and enabling Synpet to move towards a final investment decision.
At NextGen District, the port’s hub for circular economy companies, TripleW has been granted an environmental permit to build a commercial lactic acid plant.
The company already operates a demonstration facility in the NextGen Demo area, producing lactic acid from food waste for use in products such as hair gel and toilet cleaners.
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The new commercial-scale plant will be Europe’s first to convert food waste into circular lactic acid at an industrial scale, processing up to 100,000 tonnes of mixed food waste annually and creating more than 35 direct jobs once operational in the first half of 2029.
Bolder Industries has also received final approval to begin construction at NextGen District, marking the American company’s first European production site.
Bolder focuses on recovering material from discarded car tyres through a continuous thermal pyrolysis process, recovering up to 98 per cent of material from each tyre.
The facility will expand in two phases to reach an annual processing capacity of 86,000 tonnes, equivalent to around 6 million discarded tyres per year. Phase 1 alone will create more than 50 regional jobs, and the company can now proceed with contractor selection.
For more information:
Port of Antwerp-Bruges – https://www.portofantwerpbruges.com/en
