Plastic recycling plant to bring new jobs to Sunderland

TCP Circular is moving ahead with plans for the recycling facility in the Port of Sunderland and has signed an exclusivity agreement with Sunderland City Council for the use of a 12-acre site on the eastern edge of the port.

Preparatory engineering work is already under way, including the construction of a new access road. Planning permission for the development was originally granted in February 2023.

Chris Lach, CEO of TCP Circular, said: “We’re pleased to announce our intention to develop a plastics recycling plant at the Port of Sunderland and look forward to bringing our plans to life in the months ahead.

“Facilities such as this are greatly needed across the UK as we move towards a more circular economy and reduce CO2 emissions.

“We believe it’s an excellent site and are excited to be working with Sunderland City Council, playing a small part in their ambitious plans to transform the city into a key hub for businesses in the sustainable technologies and green industries.

“We look forward to updating the community as our plans develop.”

The plant will process around 100,000 tonnes of mixed plastic waste each year, including low-value materials like soft food packaging that are currently incinerated or sent to landfill.

The company plans to use pyrolysis technology, which heats plastics in the absence of oxygen to break them down into pyrolysis oil—a raw material that can be used to manufacture new products, including high-grade plastics.

Self-generated gas from the process will be used to power the facility, and output will be shipped from the port to customers in the petrochemical industry.

The facility is hoped to be operational during 2028.

Cllr Mordey said: “The Green Economy accounts for a significant share of economic output here in Sunderland, so it is fantastic news that TCP has chosen Port of Sunderland to house this leading-edge facility.

“The port is already home to a growing cluster of businesses operating in the circular economy and, alongside our world leading track record in Electric Vehicle and battery manufacturing, TCP’s investment would be yet another key milestone in our journey as we embed and grow Sunderland’s reputation as a global hub for sustainable investment.”

Original plans to develop the plant have not come to fruition, but TCP Circular – led by chemical recycling veterans Chris Lach and Bill Elliott – is now taking the development forward.