Veolia Environmental Strikes Deal with Recycler of Haz. Refining Waste

Date: February 15, 2011

Source: Veolia ES Technical Solutions, L.L.C.

Veolia Environmental Services (Chicago, IL) announced a marketing agreement with Oklahoma Materials Recycling (OMR) (Atoka, OK) which recycles spent hydrotreating catalysts used in petroleum refining. The spent catalysts are listed by the US EPA as hazardous wastes, from which OMR recovers aluminum oxides and the valuable base metal molybdenum (Mo) using a proprietary process. Molybdenum is important in the manufacture of many things from rifle barrels to filaments, chemicals and lubricants. Under the agreement, Veolia will be the exclusive seller and marketer of OMR's catalyst recycling plant. OMR's plant produces no liquid discharges and uses very little water which mitigates its effect on the environment, especially compared to competing technologies.


PRESS RELEASE

Veolia Environmental Services and Oklahoma Materials Recycling Announce Exclusive Marketing Agreement to Recycle Hydrotreating Catalyst

Veolia ES Technical Solutions, LLC, the hazardous waste division of Veolia Environmental Services North America (VESNA), and Oklahoma Materials Recycling (OMR) have signed a teaming agreement whereby Veolia will exclusively provide up-front sales and marketing services for OMR's catalyst recycling plant currently under construction in Atoka, Okla.

The new plant uses proprietary ACTR technology developed by Advanced Fibers and Powders and licensed by OMR. This revolutionary approach to catalyst recycling provides a new option for the petroleum refining industry to recycle spent hydrotreating catalysts containing the valuable base metal molybdenum (Mo). Using a thermal chemical process instead of the current hydrometallurgical process to recover Mo, the plant has several advantages:

  • The plant produces no liquid discharges, thereby mitigating environmental issues that can be problematic for competing technologies

  • Minimizes the use of water in the process of producing molybdic oxide saving precious water resources

  • The technology is capable of separating tungsten from molybdenum allowing refinery companies to recycle hydrotreating and hydrocracking catalysts that contain both metals. Current hydrometallurgical technologies are not able to effectively process spent catalysts with both metals present.

The OMR recycling operation will meet the highest standards for environmental compliance and stewardship regarding storage and handling of catalyst, air emissions and water discharges. Petroleum refining customers can have confidence that their feedstocks will be recycled responsibly. The plant construction is rapidly progressing with plans to begin processing catalyst in late second quarter 2011.

Robert Lupini, Managing Director of OMR, says the teaming agreement will be important to the success of the plant. "We evaluated several options and believe that the marketing capabilities and experience of Veolia in the recycling of waste products as well as the handling and transport of hazardous waste will enhance our ability to fill our capacity. Veolia has an outstanding reputation in the marketplace for service and has significant sales and marketing resources available to OMR."

"The petroleum refining industry is a key market for Veolia," says Loren Alexander, Global*National Program Manager for Veolia ES Technical Solutions. "Our refining customers have indicated great interest in having more options for managing spent catalysts and we feel OMR provides a unique technology with several advantages over the existing one. We are excited to respond to our customer requests with an improved option to meet their needs."

About Oklahoma Materials Recycling, LLC

Oklahoma Materials Recycling, L.L.C. (OMR), a qualified small business based in Atoka, Oklahoma, is a metal oxide manufacturing company focused on the production of molybdenum oxide and aluminum oxide products from spent hydrotreating and hydrorefining catalysts. These spent catalysts are currently listed by the EPA as hazardous waste (i.e., K171,K172). OMR utilizes a patented thermal-chemical process developed by Advanced Fibers & Powders L.L.C. specifically for the processing of these feedstocks.

About Veolia ES Technical Solutions, L.L.C.

Veolia ES Technical Solutions, L.L.C., a subsidiary of Veolia Environmental Services North America Corp., provides a complete range of services for industrial and municipal customers needing to dispose of hazardous and regulated waste. Veolia ES Technical Solutions has 46 sales, service and treatment and disposal facilities conveniently located throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Capabilities include labor services on customers' sites, permitted and secure incineration, fuels blending, recycling of solvents and acids, lighting and electronic waste recycling, and low-level radioactive and mixed waste solutions. The company has 15 permitted Treatment Storage Disposal Facilities and 36 10-day in transit locations.

About Veolia Environmental Services North America Corp.

Based in Chicago, Veolia Environmental Services North America Corp. is the leading provider of fully integrated waste, environmental and industrial cleaning solutions to residential, municipal, commercial and industrial customers across the US, Canada and the Caribbean. The company is part of the Veolia Environnement companies in North America, with 30,000 North American employees providing sustainable environmental solutions in water management, waste services, energy management, and passenger transportation.

The Veolia Environmental Services group is the largest waste services company in the world and the only global manager of liquid, solid, non-hazardous and hazardous waste; on-site waste processing; industrial cleaning and process maintenance; and recycling, recovery and disposal for both the public and private sectors. Its parent company, Veolia Environnement (NYSE: VE and Paris Euronext: VIE), is the worldwide reference in environmental services. With more than 313,000 employees in 74 countries, Veolia Environnement recorded annual revenues of almost $50 billion in 2009. Visit the company's Web sites at www.veolia.com and VeoliaES.com.

For more information, contact:
Jim Dykhuis
Veolia ES Technical Solutions
Tel: 630-218-1763
Jim.Dykhuis@veoliaes.com.

Denise Graham
On Ideas
Tel: 904-354- 2600
denisegraham@onideas.com.

Robert Lupini
Oklahoma Materials Recycling LLC
Tel: 937-609-5791
rlupini@omrllc.net.

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