LG Chem breaks ground on supercritical pyrolysis plant

LG Chem Ltd. has broke ground on a plant for pyrolysis and aerogel, a material for next-generation insulation in Seongmun National Industrial Complex in Dangjin, 150 kilometers southwest of Seoul, on Thursday.   

The South Korean company is slated to inject 310 billion won ($238.6 million) in the plant on the 240,000 square-meter site in the complex, boosting its plastic recycling businesses. It will mark the first supercritical pyrolysis factory in Korea.

Supercritical pyrolysis is a technology to decompose plastic with steam at temperature and pressure beyond the critical point of water. Global consumption of pyrolysis oil, a liquid substance generated from the process and subsequent cooling, is used for combustion in boilers and fuel in engines.

According to the petrochemical industry, the pyrolysis oil chemical recycling market is forecast to grow at an average annual rate of 17% to reach 3.3 million tons in 2030.

LG Chem will manufacture aerogel with its in-house technology. More than 95% of the material is composed of gas, making it ultralight and resistant to water and fire.

It is used as an insulation material to minimize heat loss when storing and transporting eco-friendly energy, such as liquid hydrogen.  

The company aims to begin the operation of the facility in 2024.

Write to Ik-Hwan Kim at lovepen@hankyung.com

Jihyun Kim edited this article.