There are different solutions to address environmental concerns and many of these centres on recycling. One interesting example comes from Abundia Global Impact Group, who develop scalable, commercially proven pathways that convert waste plastics and certified biomass into drop-in fuels and low-carbon chemical feedstocks.
Drop-in fuels are sustainable, synthetic, or bio-based liquid hydrocarbons that are chemically compatible with existing petroleum engines, pipelines, and infrastructure, allowing for immediate decarbonization without requiring equipment modifications.
As an example, operations like the Cedar Port Innovation Center support a waste-to-value model, redirecting waste from landfills and incineration and producing renewable oils used in fuels such as transportation-grade renewable diesel, lubricants, waxes, chemicals, and more.
To learn more about the process and commitment, Digital Journal spoke with Ed Gillespie, CEO of Abundia Global Impact Group.
Digital Journal: What is Abundia Global Impact Group’s mission and what services does your company offer?
Ed Gillespie: Abundia Global Impact Group is a low-carbon renewable energy company focused on the development of commercial scale facilities that transform waste plastics and biomass into drop-in renewable fuels and low carbon chemical feedstocks.
The Company develops integrated waste to value infrastructure that combines feedstock preparation, conversion technologies, and upgrading capabilities. Abundia’s activities are focused on producing renewable transportation grade fuels and chemical feedstocks from waste materials, while supporting waste diversion from landfills and traditional disposal pathways.
DJ: What is the impact of waste plastics on the planet and where do these originate from?
Gillespie: Waste plastics represent a growing environmental challenge when they are landfilled, incinerated, or enter waterways. These materials commonly originate from municipal solid waste generated by households and businesses, as well as post-industrial plastic waste from manufacturing processes. Limited recycling options for certain plastic types contribute to accumulation in the environment. Abundia’s approach is designed to address these waste streams by converting them into useful products.
DJ: Can you walk us through Abundia’s waste-to-value model?
Gillespie: Abundia’s waste to value model follows a three step, commercially validated process. First, waste plastics and certified biomass are aggregated and mechanically prepared to ensure consistent feedstock quality and remove contaminants. Second, Abundia and its partners deploy two complementary conversion pathways. Either plastics pyrolysis is carried out using a thermochemical process that breaks plastics into their original building blocks or biomass fast pyrolysis converts biomass residues into renewable bioliquid.
Finally, the resulting pyrolysis oils are upgraded through various steps, including hydroprocessing, to produce low carbon, renewable fuels and chemical feedstocks suitable for large scale commercial markets. On our planned Cedar Port recycling plant, which is currently under design for construction, once fully operational, we’ll be able to utilize existing infrastructure like pipelines, blending stations, roads, ports, highways, etc. to transport these fuels to the end customers with ease.
DJ: How does Abundia’s process differ from traditional recycling?
Gillespie: Traditional mechanical recycling typically downcycles plastics and is limited by contamination and material degradation. Abundia’s process uses thermal conversion to break down the waste plastics, including hard to recycle plastics, and biomass down to molecular level intermediates, which allows for consistent product quality and broader feedstock flexibility. This approach enables plastics, that are not suitable for mechanical recycling, to be converted into high value renewable fuels and chemical feedstocks, creating a larger feedstock pool and a more robust distribution network.
DJ: What industries would be serviced by some of the biofuels and chemical feedstocks you’d be creating?
Gillespie: Abundia’s products are designed to serve energy dependent industries that require reliable, large-scale supply. These include transportation markets for diesel and jet fuel, as well as the chemical sector that relies on naphtha and other feedstocks for plastics and industrial materials.
By producing low carbon alternatives that integrate with existing infrastructure, Abundia supports industries that form the backbone of the global energy and chemicals economy.
DJ: What’s the status of your Cedar Port recycling plant and when do you expect it to be operational?
Gillespie: In July 2025, Abundia Global Impact Group acquired a 25-acre site in the Cedar Port Industrial Park in Baytown, Texas. The site will host the Company’s first plastic waste to renewable fuels and chemicals plant, along with the Abundia Innovation Center.
As I’ve mentioned, the facility is located near the Houston Ship Channel and provides access to barge, rail, and pipeline infrastructure. We recently announced the appointment of our engineering partner, Burns and McDonnell, as Front End Engineering and the plant is expected to be fully operational by 2029 and includes capacity for future expansion to support multi-phase growth.
DJ: What future developments are you considering?
Gillespie: Abundia is focused on executing its multiyear development plan at Cedar Port while advancing additional waste to value technologies through its Innovation Center. Future developments include expanding recycling capacity, increasing production of low carbon fuels and chemical feedstocks, and progressing sustainable aviation fuel as the technology continues to mature.
