LYB buys in on plastics recycling co., a podcast to stream, and more to know this week

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Looking back at top energy transition news from the year, a podcast to stream, and more of what to know going into the last week of 2023. Photo via Getty Images

Editor's note: It's a new week — start it strong with three quick things to catch up on in Houston's energy transition: looking back on top news from 2023, a podcast to stream, and more.

The year in review

All month long, EnergyCapital has been looking back at 2023 — specifically the second half of it, seeing as EC's launch was this summer — to see what articles were the most read by subscribers. Here are a few of these roundups:

Check back for more in our Year in Review series here.

LYB acquires German plastic waste sourcing and engineering company

Houston-based LyondellBasell, rebranded recently to LYB, announced earlier this month that it has acquired a minority share in Source One GmbH, Leiferde, Germany, a plastic waste sourcing and engineering company, that specializes specifically in solutions for hard-to-recycle post-consumer plastic waste. This investment gives LYB access to Source One's engineering and plastic waste sourcing services, according to a news release.

"We are committed to support the growing demand of our customers for circular solutions," says Yvonne van der Laan, LyondellBasell executive vice president of Circular and Low Carbon Solutions, in the news release. “With the investment in Source One we are taking another important step to secure access to plastic waste for our recycling activities and to strengthen our Circulen product portfolio of material made from recyclable or renewable resources.”

Podcast: Moji Karimi of Cemvita talks COP28, growth of the company, and more

Moji Karimi, CEO and co-founder of Cemvita, joined the Houston Innovators Podcast last week before he had even recovered from jet lag to talk about his biggest takeaways from 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties, more commonly known as COP28.

"It was a pretty amazing experience," Karimi says, comparing the event to how CERAWeek has evolved to really have a strong presence in its innovation-focused track called Agora. "This year you had a massive section for innovation and sustainability. I think that will become a theme in COP29 and beyond to bring entrepreneurs, investors, and more participating in the event."

Karimi's three big observations are outlined here, as is the full podcast with him sharing more about Cemvita's growth this year.

LYB is building its first industrial-scale catalytic advanced recycling demonstration plant at its site in Germany. Photo via lyondellbasell.com

Global chemicals co. with Houston HQ to build industrial-scale recycling plant in Germany

seeing green

This month, LyondellBasell has announced it has officially pulled the trigger on a new recycling plant in Germany.

Dutch chemicals leader LYB, as the company has rebranded recently, has made its final investment decision to build its first industrial-scale catalytic advanced recycling demonstration plant at its site in Wesseling, Germany.

The project is reported to be the first "commercial scale, single-train advanced recycling plant to convert post-consumer plastic waste into feedstock for production of new plastic materials that can be ran at net zero GHG emissions," per LYB's news release.

The plant will utilize LYB's MoReTec technology, which targets difficult to recycle plastics like mixed or flexible materials, and have an annual capacity of 50,000 tonnes per year. The amount expected to be recycled annually will equal plastic packaging waste generated by over 1.2 million German citizens per year.

"We are committed to addressing the global challenge of plastic waste and advancing a circular economy, and today's announcement is another meaningful step in that direction," says Peter Vanacker, LYB CEO, in the release. "Scaling up our catalytic advanced recycling technology will allow us to return larger volumes of plastic waste back into the value chain. By doing this, we will have the ability to produce more materials for high-quality applications, retaining value of plastics for as long as possible."

The plant's construction is anticipated to be done by the end of 2025. The majority of the sorted processed feedstock will be supplied by Source One Plastics, a joint venture of LYB and 23 Oaks Investments that formed in October 2022.

A few weeks ago, LYB purchased a 25 percent stake in a joint venture that seeks to accelerate advancements in plastic recycling. The joint venture, Cyclyx International, was formed in 2020 by Spring-based energy giant ExxonMobil and Tigard, Oregon-based plastic recycling innovator Agilyx.

In 2022, Cyclyx announced it had inked a deal with ExxonMobil and LyondellBasell to develop a first-of-its-kind plastic waste sorting and processing plant in the Houston area. The estimated $100 million facility, set to open in 2024, is poised to annually produce 330 million pounds of plastic feedstock, which is made up of recycled materials that can be used to manufacture new plastics.

Cruise pauses in Houston and beyond — and more things to know this week. Photo via Cruise/Facebook

Robotaxi put it in park, events not to miss, and other things to know in Houston energy transition news

get up to speed

Editor's note: It's a new week — start it strong with three quick things to know in Houston's energy transition ecosystem: events not to miss, robotaxis take a break, and more.

Events this week

Don't miss these two events.

November 7-8: Hydrogen North America 2024 will host the hydrogen sector's thought leaders for a two-day event. Learn more.
November 8 — The Houston Innovation Awards will honor the city's startups, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem, including energy tech innovators. Learn more.

Cruise hits the brakes

Cruise launched in Houston in October. Photo courtesy of Cruise

Self-driving taxi service, Cruise, which recently launched in Houston, has put it in park for the time being, as TechCrunch reported last month.

The company's California permit was rescinded, and Cruise announced a national pause on its service in a statement.

"The most important thing for us right now is to take steps to rebuild public trust. Part of this involves taking a hard look inwards and at how we do work at Cruise, even if it means doing things that are uncomfortable or difficult," reads the statement. "In that spirit, we have decided to proactively pause driverless operations across all of our fleets while we take time to examine our processes, systems, and tools and reflect on how we can better operate in a way that will earn public trust. This is not related to any new on-road incidents, and our supervised AV operations will continue."

Meet LYB — and its latest sustainability deal

LyondellBasell has rebranded as LYB. Photo via lyondellbasell.com

LyondellBasell has rebranded as LYB, revealing a new logo, tagline, and visual identity.

The Dutch company, whose U.S. headquarters is in Houston, also recently announced that it has purchased a 25 percent stake in a joint venture that seeks to accelerate advancements in plastic recycling.

LyondellBasell has rebranded as LYB. Photo via lyondellbasell.com

Houston chemical corporation rebrands to reflect the future of sustainability

introducing LYB

A Houston-headquartered chemicals business has launched its new brand identity that's aligning its purpose of “creating solutions for everyday sustainable living.”

LyondellBasell's rebrand includes a new logo, tagline, and visual identity. The chemicals company, which is known as LYB with the rollout, announced the rebranding this week.

“With our new strategy firmly in place, our employees are adopting new ways of working to generate innovative, value-enhancing solutions to support our goals,” Peter Vanacker, LYB's CEO, says in the release. “I am especially proud of our teams’ recent accomplishments. This includes accelerating our value enhancement program targets and increasing our access to circular and renewable feedstocks through the development of integrated recycling hubs centered in Houston, Texas and Cologne, Germany.

"I believe our new brand identity will inspire employees by giving them a visual representation of our vision for the future and a sense of unity toward our purpose and values," he continues.

LYB's new tagline is “Solutions for a better tomorrow,” which is meant to convey the company's dedication to manufacturing products within circular and low carbon economies across food packaging, health care, and transportation, and technologies.

The new branding is visible now on the company's website and social media platforms.

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Nominate Houston's energy trailblazers for the 2025 Innovation Awards

Awards Season

Calling all Houston energy innovators: The Houston Innovation Awards return this fall to celebrate the best and brightest in the Houston innovation ecosystem, and that includes those leading the energy transition.

Presented by InnovationMap, the fifth annual Houston Innovation Awards will take place November 5 at TMC Helix Park.

The awards program will honor the top startups and innovators in Houston across 10 categories, and we're asking you to nominate the most deserving Houston innovators and innovative companies, including those in the energy transition sector.

This year's categories are:

Minority-founded Business, honoring an innovative startup founded or co-founded by BIPOC or LGBTQ+ representation.
Female-founded Business, honoring an innovative startup founded or co-founded by a woman.
Energy Transition Business, honoring an innovative startup providing a solution within renewables, climatetech, clean energy, alternative materials, circular economy, and beyond.
Health Tech Business, honoring an innovative startup within the health and medical technology sectors.
Deep Tech Business, honoring an innovative startup providing technology solutions based on substantial scientific or engineering challenges, including those in the AI, robotics, and space sectors.
Startup of the Year (People's Choice), honoring a startup celebrating a recent milestone or success. The winner will be selected by the community via an interactive voting experience.
Scaleup of the Year, honoring an innovative later-stage startup that's recently reached a significant milestone in company growth.
Incubator/Accelerator of the Year, honoring a local incubator or accelerator that is championing and fueling the growth of Houston startups.
Mentor of the Year, honoring an individual who dedicates their time and expertise to guide and support budding entrepreneurs.
Trailblazer, honoring an innovator who's made a lasting impact on the Houston innovation community.

Nominations may be made on behalf of yourself, your organization, and other leaders and institutions in the local innovation scene. The nomination period closes on August 31, so don't delay — nominate today at this link, or fill out the embedded form below.

A panel of esteemed judges will review the nominations, and determine the finalists and winners. Finalists will be unveiled on InnovationMap.com on September 30, and the 2025 Houston Innovation Awards winners will be announced live at an event on November 5.

Tickets will go on sale this fall. Stay tuned for that announcement.

Interested in Innovation Awards sponsorship opportunities? Please contact sales@innovationmap.com.

Texas solar project strikes deal with Meta and more energy news to know

Hot Topics

Editor's note: We're looking back at the top trending energy transition news from the first half of August. Enbridge and Meta strike a deal, a Houston startup raises pre-seed funds, an innovative recycling support center breaks ground, and more. Here are the five most-read stories on EnergyCapitalHTX from August 1-15:

1. Enbridge's new Texas solar project to power Meta data centers

Meta has agreed to purchase 100 percent of the power generated by Enbridge's $900 million solar project near San Antonio. Photo via Getty Images.

Construction is underway on a new 600-megawatt solar project in Texas that will supply renewable energy to Meta Platforms Inc., the owner of Facebook, Instagram and other tech platforms. Calgary-based Enbridge Inc., whose gas transmission and midstream operations are based in Houston, announced that Meta has agreed to purchase 100 percent of the power generated by its new $900 million solar project known as Clear Fork. Continue reading.

2. Houston clean-chemicals startup Solidec raises $2M to scale tech

Houston-based Solidec has closed an oversubscribed pre-seed round led by New Climate Ventures. Photo courtesy Greentown Labs.

Solidec, a Houston startup that specializes in manufacturing “clean” chemicals, has raised more than $2 million in pre-seed funding. Houston-based New Climate Ventures led the oversubscribed pre-seed round, with participation from Plug and Play Ventures, Ecosphere Ventures, the Collaborative Fund, Safar Partners, Echo River Capital and Semilla Climate Capital, among other investors. Continue reading.

3. Houston-area logistics co. breaks ground on recycling center tied to circularity hub

Chambers County has helped fund a new recycling support center in Mont Belvieu that will process post-consumer plastic materials. Photo via Getty Images.

TALKE USA Inc., a Houston-area arm of German logistics company TALKE, broke ground on its new Recycling Support Center in Mont Belvieu August 1. The facility will process post-consumer plastic materials, which will then be further processed at Cyclyx's new Houston-based Circularity Center, a first-of-its-kind plastic waste sorting and processing facility that was developed through a joint venture between Cyclix, ExxonMobil and LyondellBasell. The materials will ultimately be converted into recycling feedstock. Continue reading.

4. Japanese energy tech manufacturer officially relocates U.S. HQ to Houston

TMEIC Corporation Americas has moved its U.S. headquarters to Houston. Photo via tmeic.com

TMEIC Corporation Americas has officially relocated its headquarters from Roanoke, Virginia, to Houston. TMEIC Corporation Americas, a group company of Japan-based TMEIC Corporation Japan, recently inaugurated its new space in the Energy Corridor. The new HQ occupies the 10th floor at 1080 Eldridge Parkway. The company first announced the move last summer. Continue reading.

5. Energy experts: Executive order enhances federal permitting for AI data centers

A new EO could streamline regulatory burdens for the development of data centers supporting AI. Getty Images

In an effort to accelerate the development of artificial intelligence, President Trump signed an executive order (EO) aimed at expediting the federal permitting process for data centers, particularly those supporting AI inference, training, simulation, or synthetic data generation. The EO seeks to streamline regulatory burdens and utilize federal resources to encourage the development of data centers supporting AI, as well as the physical components and energy infrastructure needed to construct and provide power to these data centers. Continue reading.

UH launches latest micro-credential program focused on energy risks

coming soon

UH Energy at the University of Houston will launch a new micro-credential program this fall focused on risks associated with today's changing energy landscape.

The new self-paced, hybrid program, known as Managing Non-Technical Risks in Energy, is geared towards energy professionals and those who aspire to work in the industry. Enrollment must be completed by Sept. 15 to participate.

According to UH, it will equip participants with "tools, strategies, and real-world insights needed to lead confidently" as they face pressure to meet increased energy demand while also operating under sustainable guidelines.

The program will be led by expert instructors, including:

Suryanarayanan Radhakrishnan, Managing Director of UH Energy
Amy Mifflin, Principal Consultant and Partner at Sustrio Inc.
Chris Angelides, Honorary Consul of The Republic of Cyprus to Texas, Managing Director at Ernst & Young LLP
Carolina Ortega, Vice President, Sustainability and Communications at Milestone Environmental Services
Krish (Ravi) Ravishankar, Senior Director ESG Analytics & Reporting, Sustainability, Worldwide Environmental Affairs at Oxy

Participants can earn up to three "badges" through the program. Each badge consists of two modules, which can be completed virtually and take about 10 hours to complete over four weeks.

Each module will also include one in-person engagement session that will last about two hours.

The three badges include:

Badge 1: Managing Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts
Badge 2: Frameworks, Standards, and Implementation
Badge 3: Advanced Applications

Badges can be earned individually or as a series of three, and participants must complete assessments to earn each badge.

Badge 1 Module 1 will start on Sept. 15, followed by Badge 1 Module 2 on Oct. 20. Find more information here.

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