AMG, Shell form catalyst recycling JV

Advanced Metallurgical Group (AMG) and Shell Catalysts and Technologies will form a joint venture to source spent catalysts from oil refiners for reclamation and recycling outside of North America.

Shell Catalysts and Technologies provides catalysts to refiners and petrochemical operators, while AMG recycles spent catalysts to produce ferro-vanadium and ferro-nickel-molybdenum. The joint venture will be called Shell and AMG Recycling.

AMG expects the volume of spent catalysts to grow entering 2020 as the International Maritime Organization implements a regulatory measure that caps the amount of allowable sulphur content in global marine fuels at 0.5pc, down from the current limit of 3.5pc.

The new regulation could pressure refiners to increase desulphurization and catalytic capacity to produce very-low sulphur fuel oil.

Spent catalysts are a source of vanadium-bearing residues. AMG hopes to provide an alternative for refineries that would otherwise need to dispose of catalysts in a landfill.

The agreement comes after another agreement from AMG Vanadium to supply Glencore with ferro-vanadium from existing and upcoming facilities in Ohio.