INEOS & TRC Create Plant for Sustainable Acrylonitrile

Trillium Renewable Chemicals has announced that INEOS Nitreles’s Green Lake Facility in Port Lavaca, Texas will be the site of ‘Project Falcon’. This will be the world’s first demonstration plant where plant-based glycerol is converted into acrylonitrile. 

Acrylonitrile is a key raw material used in manufacturing auto parts, aerospace components, toys, medical supplies and apparel. In its unaltered state, acrylonitrile has chronic toxic impacts on people and the environment, producing extensive Co2 emissions.

People near industrial and chemical waste sites can be exposed to acrylonitrile through the air or contaminated water, risking headaches, nausea and other long-term health complications.

Trillium Renewable Chemicals has developed technologies for creating sustainable, safer acrylonitrile, partnering with INOES, a leading petrochemical manufacturer.

INEOS brings significant technological expertise to this venture, as the developers of the AN process employed by over 75% of the world’s operating Acrylonitrile capacity.

“INEOS Nitriles is very pleased to be working with Trillium to advance technology for the production of sustainable bio-based acrylonitrile,” said Hans Casier, CEO of INEOS Nitriles.

“ Our support of this project, which is part of our wider sustainability strategy, emphasises our commitment as the world’s largest producer of acrylonitrile, to reducing the carbon footprint of the industry. We look forward to working closely with Trillium to help achieve this objective.”

Trillium’s version of the material addresses growing customer demand for greener raw materials, being 100% plant-based and boasting a reduced carbon footprint.

"Trillium is thrilled that INEOS Nitriles Green Lake, home to America’s largest acrylonitrile production plant, will serve as the home for Project Falcon," said Corey Tyree, CEO of Trillium Renewable Chemicals. 

"This milestone is a significant step forwards in bringing our technology to market and producing sustainable bio-based acrylonitrile at scale."

The journey to Trillium’s demonstration plant began after the company successfully constructed a pilot plant that produced acrylonitrile from glycerol. This was boosted by a US$2.5m award from the US Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office and a round of Series A financing that raised US$10.6m in 2022. 

Trillium continues to operate the pilot plant, providing samples to customers and contributing insights to the design of the Falcon plant. Project Falcon is set to commence operations in early 2025, with the project running to early 2026. Its outcome will shape the sustainable trajectory of the chemical manufacturing industry, helping to validate commercial-scale economics and product carbon footprint at scale.

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