As part of a strategic collaboration, automotive polymer supplier Covestro has received its first delivery of 1,000 tons of renewable phenol from manufacturer Borealis, which has been produced with renewable hydrocarbons from petroleum company Neste.
Neste produces the ISCC Plus-certified hydrocarbons (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) entirely from renewable raw materials, such as waste and residual oils and fats. The hydrocarbons are then converted into ISCC Plus mass balance certified phenol by Borealis and finally used by Covestro to produce the high-performance plastic polycarbonate – as a replacement for part of the phenol previously manufactured from fossil resources. Polycarbonate is then used in automotive lighting, glazing, LED lights, electronic devices and other applications.
“With this first supply, we are once again underlining our commitment to the increased use of alternative raw materials. In this way, we are recycling carbon and are driving the circularity forward, which must become the new global guiding principle,” explained Covestro CEO Dr Markus Steilemann. “By cooperating with upstream partners such as Neste and Borealis, we are showing how a sustainable value chain can work.”
