Ohio picked for Thailand

Jul 15, 2023

The U.S. subsidiary of Thailand's PTT Global Chemical Public Co. Ltd. (GC), PTTGC America (GCA), has selected a site near Columbus, Ohio, for a new mechanical recycling facility that will turn PET beverage bottles into pellets for new bottles and other products.

GCA will purchase land at the Midwest Mega Commerce Center in Fayette County, according to a company news release.

"Aligned with the Paris Agreement, GC Group aims to reduce current CO2 emissions by 20 percent by 2030 as part of our journey toward achieving net zero by 2050," GCA CEO Panod Awaiwanond said. "This project illustrates our commitment to fight climate change and contribute to a circular economy. It also reaffirms our commitment to the U.S. and the state of Ohio."

GCA's parent company, GC, is Thailand's largest integrated petrochemical and refining business.

The plan for the Ohio site is to purchase used plastic feedstock for the mechanical recycling process from recycling collectors, or materials recovery facilities, in Ohio and surrounding states. The recycled pellets will be sold to other manufacturers to make new bottles.

The mechanical recycling facility will handle about 40,000 tons of plastic waste per year and will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 50,000 tons of CO2-equivalent per year, which the company says is a 79 percent reduction compared to production of virgin PET from hydrocarbon.

The 2,300-acre commerce park in Ohio also is where Honda and LG Energy Solution are jointly developing a plant to manufacture batteries for Honda and Acura electric vehicles.

Thailand's GC has 43 operation sites and 33 research and development centers in 20 countries globally.

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