City Oil Field debuts world’s 1st low-temp, noncombustion plastic recycling tech

City Oil Field CEO Jeong Yeong-hun, right, poses with Sabien Group Chairman Richard Parris after signing a strategic partnership in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, Tuesday. Courtesy of City Oil Field

City Oil Field has become the first company in the world to commercialize a low-temperature, noncombustion catalytic plastic decomposition technology, a breakthrough expected to advance Korea’s circular economy and carbon-reduction goals.

The company, in partnership with Woori Technology, held an opening ceremony Tuesday for the Wave Jeongeup plant in North Jeolla Province. The facility produces high-grade recycled naphtha-level feedstock by decomposing waste plastic below 300 degrees Celsius without combustion, making it the first commercial plant of its kind worldwide.

The inauguration was attended by City Oil Field CEO Jeong Yeong-hun, Chairman Kim Jeong-yoon, Woori Technology CEO Roh Gab-sun, Vice President Jeon Dae-young, current and former National Assembly members and roughly 200 government, industry and academic officials. International guests included Saudi PEDCO CEO Abdulmohsen Al-Zamil, executives from Trafigura, BASF and Saudi SIRC, as well as Sabien Group Chairman Richard Parris.

The Jeongeup plant, Korea’s largest, processes agricultural waste vinyl and mixed plastics to produce recycled feedstock for petrochemical manufacturing. The plant uses ceramic catalysts and electrical energy to decompose plastic without high heat, preventing harmful emissions and producing high-quality recycled oil from mixed waste.

The Wave Jeongeup plant in North Jeolla Province / Courtesy of City Oil Field

The company holds three key certifications: the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS for sustainability and traceability, process safety management and Korea Testing Laboratory quality verification. ISCC PLUS allows the recycled oil to be used directly in naphtha cracking and qualifies it for export to markets with strict environmental standards, including the European Union. City Oil Field has already signed an annual export contract worth up to 15 billion won ($10.7 million) with Vietnam’s Nam An Group.

The plant can process 6,500 tons of waste plastics annually, potentially generating carbon reductions equivalent to 17,550 tons per year.

“This commercialization is a national achievement,” Jeong said. “Korea is transitioning from a carbon-neutral technology importer to a technology exporter. This marks a historic turning point.”

On the same day, City Oil Field signed a strategic partnership with London-listed Sabien Technology Group to codevelop international recycled green oil (RGO) plants and distribute recycled oil across Europe and the Americas, and also partnered with carbon capture firm LowCarbon to build a “Blue Naphtha Production Base” in Gangjin, South Jeolla Province, producing 200,000 tons of blue naphtha and 30,000 tons of liquefied carbon dioxide annually.

Global commodities trader Trafigura, which specializes in energy and raw material trading worldwide, is negotiating to handle international sales of RGO, supporting City Oil Field’s expansion into Europe, the United States, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

“These partnerships represent a milestone for exporting Korea’s recycled feedstock technology,” Jeong said. “By continuously expanding international partnerships and strengthening technological cooperation, City Oil Field aims to place Korean innovation at the center of the global green industrial transformation.”