Kaleigh Harrison
Abundia Global Impact Group has signed a licensing and partnership agreement with energy technology provider Topsoe to support development of its planned waste-plastics-to-renewable products facility in Baytown, Texas.
The deal centers on deploying Topsoe’s HydroFlex upgrading technology as Abundia moves toward a final investment decision for the project, which the company expects in 2026.
Developers across the low-carbon fuels sector are increasingly pairing emerging feedstock conversion technologies with established refining systems. The strategy is intended to reduce technical uncertainty and improve financing prospects as projects transition from pilot concepts to commercial facilities.
Upgrading liquefied plastic waste into fuels
Under the agreement, Abundia plans to integrate Topsoe’s HydroFlex platform into its processing system to upgrade liquid intermediates derived from waste plastics. The technology is designed to convert renewable or alternative feedstocks into products such as renewable diesel and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Within Abundia’s process design, the upgrading stage would transform plastic-derived liquids into finished fuels and chemical feedstocks that can meet existing regulatory and fuel-quality specifications.
Company leadership said selecting technology with an operational track record was intended to strengthen the project’s bankability. Systems that have already been deployed at commercial scale can reduce perceived risk for lenders and partners as large infrastructure projects approach final investment decisions.
For Topsoe, the collaboration expands the application of its upgrading platform into emerging recycling pathways. The technology has primarily been used in renewable fuel production from biological feedstocks but is increasingly being evaluated for processing advanced inputs such as liquefied plastic waste.
Integrated recycling and refining approach
The Baytown project is being structured around a multi-stage conversion process involving several technology partners.
At the front end, plastics recycling technology developer Alterra will supply a system designed to convert difficult-to-recycle plastic waste into a liquid feedstock. That material would then move through Topsoe’s upgrading technology, where it would be refined into drop-in fuels and chemical products compatible with existing infrastructure.
Abundia describes the configuration as a vertically integrated waste-to-value model that links waste conversion with established refining processes capable of delivering consistent fuel outputs.
The arrangement is intended to help address two market pressures simultaneously: managing plastic waste streams that are challenging to recycle through traditional methods and expanding supply of lower-carbon fuels and chemical feedstocks.
Beyond the Baytown facility, the agreement includes a multi-project licensing structure that could allow Abundia to deploy the same upgrading technology at additional sites. The company is positioning the initial Texas project as a potential foundation for broader development across the Gulf Coast’s established refining and petrochemical corridor.
During the technology selection process, engineering firm Nexus PMG conducted technical diligence on the upgrading platform. The firm’s assessment concluded that the system offered a capital-efficient route for converting plastic-derived feedstocks into marketable renewable fuel products.