Aduro Clean Technologies Selects Chemelot Industrial Park for First-of-a-Kind Industrial Plant
LONDON, Ontario, Jan. 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aduro Clean Technologies Inc. ("Aduro" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: ADUR) (CSE: ACT) (FSE: 9D5), a clean technology company using the power of chemistry to transform lower value feedstocks, like waste plastics, heavy bitumen, and renewable oils, into resources for the 21st century, today announced it has selected Chemelot Industrial Park ("CIP") in Sittard-Geleen, Netherlands, located within the Chemelot chemical site, as the location for its planned industrial scale-up facility.
The facility will host a First-of-a-Kind ("FOAK") industrial plant deploying Hydrochemolytic Technology for the chemical recycling of waste plastics, building on prior pilot scale validation, and previously referred to in the Company's public disclosures as the Demonstration Plant. The FOAK plant represents the next phase of Aduro's progression toward commercial operation, with the facility intended to support successive phases of scale-up and optimization following successful initial operation.
Chemelot is one of Europe's leading integrated chemical industry clusters and hosts a broad range of chemical and materials production facilities and supporting services. The site includes shared utilities, centralized wastewater treatment, established site-wide safety and operating standards, and an umbrella environmental permitting framework designed to support efficient and predictable industrial project development. Chemelot has articulated a long-term ambition to transition toward a climate-neutral, circular chemistry and materials site, with a particular focus on increasing the use of non-fossil and circular feedstocks, supported by the interconnectedness of industrial operations and innovation activities across the site. As an established site for steam cracking and downstream polymer production, Chemelot provides a relevant industrial environment for technologies producing circular hydrocarbon intermediates intended as alternatives to fossil-based naphtha.
Brightlands Chemelot Campus is located at Chemelot and serves as an open-innovation and scale-up ecosystem for the chemical and materials industries. The campus provides access to applied research capabilities and shared laboratory and development infrastructure that support technology development and industrial implementation. Aduro has been active within the Brightlands ecosystem since 2021 as part of its European technology development activities.
The selection of Chemelot Industrial Park follows an extensive site-selection campaign initiated by Aduro in late 2025 as part of its structured scale-up program. Over several months, the Company conducted due diligence across multiple candidate locations, narrowing the process to four finalist sites before selecting Chemelot based on technical, industrial, and strategic criteria. Northwest Europe was identified as a preferred region due to its established waste management infrastructure, concentration of downstream industrial partners and end markets, and evolving regulation supporting circular materials.
The final decision reflected Chemelot's ability to support permanent industrial operations and future expansion, including access to robust utilities, proximity to regional steam cracking capacity, integration within an established circular plastics value chain, availability of feedstock, and alignment with European regulatory and permitting frameworks. Chemelot's position within the Netherlands' circular chemistry ecosystem also provides connectivity to downstream offtake markets and industrial partners engaged in the transition toward circular feedstocks.
The FOAK plant planned for Aduro's industrial scale-up facility is expected to begin operations at an initial processing capacity of approximately 10,000 tonnes per year, with the selected site providing sufficient space and infrastructure to support phased expansion and a long-term industrial presence.
"Selecting Chemelot marks a pivotal point in the scale-up pathway we outlined last year," said Ofer Vicus, Chief Executive Officer of Aduro. "From the outset, our objective has been to transition from pilot-scale validation to an industrial facility capable of operating under real-world conditions, producing commercially relevant outputs, and supporting future growth. Chemelot provides the infrastructure, industrial integration, and expansion capability required not just for our a First-of-a-Kind facility but rather as a foundation towards a full commercial deployment of increased processing capacity."
Frank Schaap, Business Development Director Chemelot, commented: "We are proud that Aduro has chosen Chemelot as the home for its First-of-a-Kind industrial facility. Their project reinforces our long-term ambition to become a frontrunner in circular and low-carbon chemistry. Aduro strengthens the existing ecosystem on our site and contributes to building scalable circular feedstock routes that can be fully embedded in our integrated value chains. This is precisely the type of innovation that accelerates our transition toward a climate-neutral chemical industry."
Astrid Boeijen, CEO at Brightlands Chemelot Campus added: "At Brightlands Chemelot Campus, we are committed to helping breakthrough technologies make the leap from the lab to industrial reality. Aduro's scale-up facility fits perfectly with our mission to enable, and support scale up, accelerate innovation and connect companies with the partners and expertise they need to succeed. By choosing Chemelot, Aduro becomes part of a strong innovation ecosystem that is jointly shaping the future of circular chemistry. We are excited and proud to support them on this journey toward large-scale impact."
Regional Minister for Economy, Finance and Business Operations and Public Affairs, and also Vice-President of the European Chemical Regions Network (ECRN), Stephan Satijn stated: "Aduro's First-of-a-Kind facility is exactly the kind of investment that strengthens our position as a European leader in circular and climate-neutral chemistry. By converting waste streams into valuable raw materials, projects like this contribute directly to our sustainability goals while reinforcing the industrial backbone of the Netherlands and the Province of Limburg. We are proud to welcome innovators who help accelerate the transition to a future-proof chemical sector."
About Aduro Clean Technologies
Aduro Clean Technologies is a developer of patented water-based technologies to chemically recycle waste plastics; convert heavy crude and bitumen into lighter, more valuable oil; and transform renewable oils into higher-value fuels or renewable chemicals. The Company's Hydrochemolytic™ technology relies on water as a critical agent in a chemistry platform that operates at relatively low temperatures and cost, a game-changing approach that converts low-value feedstocks into resources for the 21st century.
About Chemelot
Chemelot is one of the key industrial clusters in the Netherlands. On the Chemelot Industrial Park, 17 production companies are active in 60 different plants, which are strongly interconnected, both in terms of energy and raw material flows. At these companies, and in the unique combination with the Brightlands Chemelot Campus, a lot of work is being done on the transition to sustainable production.
Besides the energy transition, the raw material transition is just as important. Chemelot' s ambition is to have fully circular production by 2050. Precisely because the plants are so interconnected, Chemelot is in an excellent position to achieve this. Approximately 8,000 employees in more than 200 companies work on the 800-hectare site. For more information visit www.chemelot.nl.
For further information, please contact:
Abe Dyck, Head of Corporate Development / Investor Relations
[email protected]
+1 226 784 8889
Chemelot
Danielle Willems, Director Communications & Public Affairs
[email protected]
KCSA Strategic Communications
Jack Perkins, Senior Vice President
[email protected]
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws, including the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the planned development of an industrial scale-up facility and first-of-a-kind ("FOAK") plant at Chemelot Industrial Park, the expected processing capacity of the FOAK plant, the ability of the selected site to support phased expansion, the anticipated role of the facility in Aduro's scale-up strategy, and the progression of Hydrochemolytic™ Technology toward broader commercial deployment.
Forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations, assumptions, and beliefs and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks related to technology development and scale-up, engineering and design challenges, permitting and regulatory approvals, construction and commissioning timelines, availability of funding, feedstock availability and quality, market demand for recycled hydrocarbon products, competitive pressures, supply chain disruptions, changes in environmental and chemical regulations, and general economic and market conditions.
Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially are described in the Company's public disclosure filings, including those available on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's website at www.sec.gov
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. Aduro undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable law.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/290c61df-0994-4eb0-9a49-812e63a50eec
