Borealis to gain International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC PLUS) for all its European polyolefin production sites

• Four of Borealis polyolefin production locations in Europe are currently ISCC PLUS certified, with the remaining two to be certified by the first quarter of 2021
• ISCC PLUS certification enables mass balance production of renewable and chemically recycled feedstock
• Sustainable hydrocarbons such as ethylene, propylene and phenol, as well as renewable polyolefins, can then be produced and taken to market

Borealis has gained ISCC PLUS certification for its Porvoo (Finland), Schwechat  (Austria), Kallo and Beringen (Belgium) polyolefin (PO) production sites, and is aiming to have its sites at Stenungsund (Sweden) and Burghausen (Germany) certified by the first quarter of 2021. Borealis’ Porvoo location, which recently commissioned a cavern to store its conventional and renewable feedstock, is the latest site to gain this certification. A certification audit was completed at Stenungsund this October, and there is one planned for certification at Burghausen later this year.

A global standard for recycled and bio-based materials, ISCC PLUS provides traceability along the supply chain, verifying companies to meet specific environmental and social standards, creating a chain of custody. This enables Borealis to certify its mass balanced production of renewable feedstock, as well as chemically recycled feedstock, with a mass balance approach crucial to transitioning towards a more circular economy of the chemical industry. It is a development that puts into practice the aims of Borealis’ EverMinds™ platform, which is committed to moving from a linear to circular economy through innovation and collaboration.

ISCC PLUS certification also enables Borealis to produce and offer renewable PO – The Bornewables™ range of circular products – and renewable hydrocarbons, such as ethylene, propylene, C4s, phenol and acetone, to the market for the first time. And as a result of certifying each of its production sites, Borealis can progress with its large pipeline of projects to drive the transition to a circular economy: supplier contracts can be finalised, and customer contracts for feedstock explored. This is another step in implementing the pledges Borealis made to stakeholders that by 2025 100% of the consumer products and solutions shall be made of recyclable, reusable or with renewable content.

To accelerate the transition towards a circular economy, it is essential that customers, brand owners, and other parts of the supply chain, also look to adopt ISCC PLUS certification. The chain of custody it enables is the best way to provide the market with sustainable products, and the potential of this approach is dependent on industry-wide collaboration. To gain certification, Borealis set up a dedicated team to ensure the necessary processes and procedures were implemented at site locations and at group level.

“By gaining ISCC PLUS certification across all our PO production sites in Europe, we are making great strides towards implementing our sustainability strategy and transitioning towards a more circular economy.” says Lucrèce Foufopoulos, Executive Vice President Polyolefins, Circular Economy Solutions and Innovation & Technology. “Life demands progress. As the leading scheme to secure sustainability throughout the value chain, supporting the mass balance approach, ISCC PLUS certification is essential in enabling this transition. It’s the latest way in which Borealis is reinventing for more sustainable living.”

OMV Aktiengesellschaft
OMV produces and markets oil and gas, innovative energy and high-end petrochemical solutions – in a responsible way. With Group sales of EUR 23 bn and a workforce of around 20,000 employees in 2019, OMV Aktiengesellschaft is one of Austria’s largest listed industrial companies. In Upstream, OMV has a strong base in Central and Eastern Europe as well as a balanced international portfolio, with Middle East & Africa, the North Sea, Russia and Asia-Pacific as further core regions. Daily average production was 487,000 boe/d in 2019. In Downstream, OMV operates three refineries in Europe and owns a 15% share in ADNOC Refining and Trading JV, with a total annual processing capacity of 24.9 mn tons. Furthermore, OMV has a 75% participation in Borealis, one of the world’s leading producers of polyolefins. The Company operates about 2,100 filling stations in ten European countries. OMV runs gas storage facilities in Austria and Germany. In 2019, gas sales volumes amounted to around 137 TWh. Sustainability is an integral part of OMV’s corporate strategy. OMV supports the transition to a lower-carbon economy and has set measurable targets for reducing carbon intensity and introducing new energy and petrochemical solutions.