Coppe and Petrobras inaugurate groundbreaking pilot plant for chemical recycling of plastics
Planeta COPPE / Chemical Engineering / Low Carbon / News
Date: 07/11/2025

Coppe/UFRJ and Petrobras will inaugurate, on November 18th, a pilot plant for chemical recycling through pyrolysis, installed on Ilha do Fundão, in Rio de Janeiro. The new unit marks a strategic advancement in research and development of technologies for the sustainable management of plastic waste and for the transition towards a circular carbon economy.
Pyrolysis is a thermal process that transforms plastic waste into reusable oil and gases, without the need for oxygen, allowing the material to return to the production chain as raw material (kerosene, naphtha, aromatic compounds and other high-value inputs) for the petrochemical industry.

With continuous flow operation and the capacity to process up to one ton of plastic per day, the plant is unique of its kind in Brazil and is the result of a partnership between Coppe’s Polymerization Engineering Laboratory (EngePol) and the Institute of Macromolecules (IMA/UFRJ), in collaboration with Petrobras. The operation will also have the support of the Orla sem Lixo project, which intercepts and collects floating waste in Cidade Universitária, and will recycle plastic material that has no commercial interest for mechanical recycling (such as PET packaging).
The facility was designed as a pyrolysis oil (PPO) production module, with two-stage condensation and energy recovery from non-condensable gases and residual solid material — configuring a state-of-the-art, scalable and environmentally efficient chemical recycling model.

“We don’t believe that the end of a chemical product’s useful life is definitive. We work with the idea of circularity and are interested in reintroducing materials into chemical processes, making them raw materials for industry again,” explains Professor José Carlos Pinto, coordinator of EngePol/Coppe.
The initiative reinforces the role of Coppe/UFRJ and Petrobras as protagonists in generating knowledge and impactful innovation, contributing to waste reduction, the rational use of resources, and the strengthening of Brazil’s technological competitiveness.
📍 Date: November 18th 2025 at 9:00 AM.
📌 Location: Coppe Auditorium, in Technology Center 2 of UFRJ – Rua Moniz de Aragão, 360, block 1, Cidade Universitária
