Empire Diversified Energy secures multi-million funding for US recycling plant

Empire Diversified Energy’s subsidiary, Empire Green Generation (GreenGen), has received US$10 million in funding to establish a plastic waste recycling plant in West Virginia, US.

GreenGen says the plant will use “commercially proven” technology to convert plastic waste into pyrolysis oils, which are used as displacements for petroleum-derived commodities. This is specifically for petrochemical refiners seeking a circular economy for non-biodegradable plastic waste. 

Frank Rosso, Empire’s CEO, says: “We are thankful for our lender’s continual support as we expand our recycling and sustainability efforts at the Port of West Virginia. We believe GreenGen will set the standard for waste-to-energy recycling plants in the US.” 

“I want to thank our entire Empire team for its tireless commitment over the past three years bringing this vision to commercial viability. We will continue to provide updates to all of our stakeholders as the commissioning process transitions into full operations in the next quarter.”

GreenGen’s initial drawdown was US$4 million. The parasitic load will be met through the generation of 1.4 MW of electricity from the plant’s syngas, the company explains. The operations are reportedly designed to recycle 70 metric tons of plastic daily by employing an environmentally sustainable and eco-friendly pyrolytic process.

GreenGen is located at the Empire Riverfront Industrial Complex, which provides advantaged access to multi-modal logistics infrastructure at the Port of West Virginia.

The funding was obtained through the sale of Solid Waste Disposal Facilities Revenue Bonds Series 2025 to an institutional investor, with support from the West Virginia Economic Development Authority.