Aduro Selects Saipem for Engineering and Procurement Support for First-of-a-Kind HCT Facility at Chemelot
LONDON, Ontario — Aduro Clean Technologies (Nasdaq: ADUR, TSX: ACT) has selected Saipem, the global energy and infrastructure engineering contractor, to provide engineering and procurement support for the company’s First-of-a-Kind (FOAK) Hydrochemolytic™ Technology (HCT) facility at the Chemelot Industrial Park in the Netherlands. The appointment marks a significant step in Aduro’s staged scale-up pathway from laboratory validation through pilot-scale operation to industrial deployment.
The FOAK facility represents the critical bridge between Aduro’s successful pilot-scale demonstrations and broader commercial roll-out of its water-based chemical recycling technology. Unlike conventional pyrolysis, HCT operates at relatively low temperatures using water as a critical agent to transform lower-value feedstocks — including mixed and contaminated polyolefin waste — into liquid hydrocarbon products suitable for use as circular feedstock in existing petrochemical infrastructure.
“We are pleased to welcome Saipem as our engineering and procurement partner for this landmark project,” said Ofer Vicus, Chief Executive Officer of Aduro. “Saipem’s deep experience in process plant engineering, modular construction, and industrial project execution at Chemelot and similar sites globally aligns directly with our objective of delivering a robust, operable FOAK plant that validates integrated system performance under real-world conditions.”
The Chemelot site, located in Geleen, Netherlands, hosts one of Europe’s largest integrated chemical clusters with established infrastructure for feedstock supply, utilities, and product off-take — advantages that support efficient project execution and future replication. Aduro previously announced the Netherlands as the selected location for its first-of-a-kind plant in March 2026, citing the region’s supportive policy environment for chemical recycling under the EU’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and the presence of strategic partners across the value chain.
Saipem’s scope encompasses front-end engineering design (FEED), detailed engineering, and procurement services for the facility. The company’s track record in delivering complex process plants for the energy transition — including circular economy and chemical recycling projects — provides a strong foundation for translating Aduro’s process technology into a reliable, operable industrial asset.
The FOAK facility is designed not for maximum throughput but to validate continuous operation at meaningful scale, evaluate long-term equipment performance, and refine control strategies using real-world feedstocks. Data generated at this stage will inform subsequent replication, standardization, and cost-reduction efforts across future commercial plants.
Aduro’s scale-up pathway has been methodical. Laboratory-scale experiments established the core chemistry of Hydrochemolytic™ recycling, demonstrating selective conversion of polyethylene and polypropylene into shorter-chain hydrocarbon products. A pilot-scale campaign using the company’s Next Generation Process (NGP) reactor achieved an 86 percent liquid hydrocarbon yield on polypropylene feed, confirming the chemistry’s performance under continuous operating conditions.
The company has also advanced HCT evaluation on complex waste streams through industry collaborations. In June 2026, Aduro signed a Memorandum of Understanding with AstroTurf, the original inventor of synthetic sports surfacing, to evaluate HCT for recovering polyethylene and polypropylene from end-of-life synthetic turf — a multi-material waste stream that mechanical recycling struggles to process. Earlier confidential testing with another global turf producer showed encouraging conversion of PE and PP components even in the presence of contamination and mixed materials.
“The transition from pilot to FOAK is where many chemical recycling technologies stall,” said Eric Appelman, Chief Revenue Officer of Aduro. “It requires addressing feedstock variability, continuous operation, heat and mass transfer, and product recovery — all under sustained industrial conditions. Our collaboration with Saipem is designed to navigate these engineering realities systematically, building a plant that is robust rather than idealized.”
The global chemical recycling landscape is evolving rapidly as policy frameworks tighten. The EU’s PPWR, entering implementation phase, sets recycled content targets for plastic packaging that mechanical recycling alone cannot meet. In North America, extended producer responsibility frameworks are expanding. These regulatory drivers create a clear market pull for technologies that can process mixed and contaminated polyolefin waste streams at scale.
Aduro’s water-based approach offers several differentiating characteristics. Operating at lower temperatures than pyrolysis reduces energy intensity and avoids the formation of problematic aromatic byproducts. The chemistry tolerates feedstock variability — including additives, fillers, and contaminants common in post-consumer waste — that challenge other processes. And the liquid hydrocarbon output is compatible with existing steam cracker infrastructure, enabling a drop-in circular feedstock model.
The Saipem partnership also reflects Aduro’s stage-gated development philosophy. Rather than pursuing maximum scale immediately, the company is investing in a FOAK plant that serves as a learning environment — instrumented, automated, and designed for operability. Instrumentation, maintenance access, and operator feedback loops are embedded in the design to accelerate learning cycles and support a smoother transition to follow-on plants.
“This is not just about building a plant — it’s about building the right plant,” Vicus emphasized. “The FOAK facility will generate the data, operational experience, and validated design package that de-risk future commercial deployments. Saipem’s expertise in delivering complex projects on schedule and on budget is a critical enabler of that strategy.”
The engineering phase is expected to progress through 2026, with construction timing aligned to permit schedules and procurement lead times. Aduro continues to advance complementary workstreams including feedstock qualification, off-take discussions, and certification pathways for the circular products.
About Aduro Clean Technologies Aduro Clean Technologies is a developer of patented water-based technologies to chemically recycle waste plastics; convert heavy crude and bitumen into lighter, more valuable oil; and transform renewable oils into higher-value fuels or renewable chemicals. The Company’s Hydrochemolytic™ technology relies on water as a critical agent in a chemistry platform that operates at relatively low temperatures and cost, converting low-value feedstocks into resources for the 21st century. For more information, visit www.adurocleantech.com.
About Saipem Saipem is a global leader in engineering, procurement, and construction services for the energy sector, with a growing portfolio in energy transition and circular economy projects. The company operates in over 60 countries and employs approximately 30,000 people. For more information, visit www.saipem.com.
Source: Aduro Clean Technologies investor relations and PECM article “Advancing Chemical Recycling from Lab to Pilot Scale — and Toward First-of-a-Kind Industrial Deployment,” February 11, 2026.