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Aduro Clean Technologies and Zeton to construct pilot plant to scale up plastics upcycling

| By Mary Bailey

Zeton Inc. (Burlington, Ont., Canada) and Aduro Clean Technologies, Inc. (Sarnia, Ont., Canada) will design, build, and commission a pilot plant for Aduro’s proprietary Hydrochemolytic Technology (HCT Pilot Plant), marking a key milestone in Aduro’s commercialization pathway for transforming waste plastics into valuable chemicals. Previously referred to as the “Next Generation Process (NGP),” this 10-kg/h HCT Pilot Plant represents Aduro’s evolved focus on right-sized, modular, and scalable solutions. A key objective for 2024 has been the completion of the pilot plant design, which remains on schedule. Fabrication, delivery, installation, and commissioning are targeted for Q3 2025. Concurrently, site preparation, staff training, and materials sourcing are progressing to ensure alignment with the project timeline.

Aduro’s HCT Pilot Plant, to be located at the Company’s facility in London, Ontario, marks the next phase in Aduro’s strategic plan to scale its Hydrochemolytic Technology (HCT) toward full commercialization. This pilot plant will build upon the Company’s years of extensive research aimed at optimizing the requirements for HCT at a commercial scale. Designed with modularity and scalability at its core, the HCT Pilot Plant will enable Aduro to define optimal configurations of its unique reactor system to process each of the many local variations in the wide range of feedstocks that are suitable for the Hydrochemolytic Technology process, making it highly suited to project-specific needs across diverse customer applications. This flexibility is especially valuable to Aduro’s current and prospective collaborators, who are exploring the use of advanced chemical recycling across a wide range of plastic waste feedstocks, each with unique characteristics and requirements.

“Our engagement with Zeton adds significant engineering capabilities. We are excited and feel that we are in a strong position to accomplish our goals working with such an experienced global leader,” said Ofer Vicus, CEO of Aduro. “Our HCT Pilot Plant will serve as a key platform for validating HCT’s performance in real-world conditions, bringing us closer to the design and construction of a commercial demonstration plant,” continued Vicus. “As this pilot project advances, we look forward to deeper collaboration with our potential strategic partners and leaders in the plastics industry, positioning Aduro for long-term value creation.”

“Our engagement with Aduro represents a real opportunity to demonstrate the scalability and viability of Hydrochemolytic Technology, which is part of the increasing demand for advanced recycling solutions and the global shift towards sustainable plastics recycling methods,” added Dr. Leisl Dukhedin-Lalla, President, and CEO of Zeton. “Our role in bringing this innovative solution closer to commercialization aligns with our shared vision of providing sustainable, impactful technologies that address global environmental challenges.”