Meet the Company: Buchen & Remondis

Ahead of the European Refining Technology Conference (ERTC), we caught up with one of our sponsors, Buchen & Remondis, to give you more insight into their company and their involvement in ERTC 2024.

What are you and your company doing for the industry?

At BUCHEN-ICS and REMONDIS PMR, we are dedicated to shaping the future of the refining and petrochemical industries through sustainable and innovative solutions. At BUCHEN-ICS specializes in catalyst handling and bulk material management, with a strong emphasis on the continuous integration of cutting-edge robotics technologies. These advancements allow us to take a significant step forward in minimizing the time our specialist workforce spends in immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) conditions, such as reactors under nitrogen blankets. This approach not only enhances operational efficiency but also significantly improves safety. Our expertise lies in delivering high-quality services that ensure smooth and effective catalyst handling—an essential component of refinery operations.

REMONDIS PMR complements our efforts by bringing extensive experience in recycling spent catalysts and related waste streams, particularly those containing precious and transition metals. Together, we offer a comprehensive solution that turns waste into valuable resources, contributing to a circular economy. This partnership allows us to create a seamless process for cleaning, collecting, and recycling spent materials, ensuring that resources are maximized and waste is minimized.
Our approach helps our clients meet environmental regulations, reduce costs, and enhance sustainability. By transforming what was once considered waste into reusable resources, we are helping the industry move toward a more sustainable future. Our joint efforts not only benefit the industry by improving efficiency and reducing waste but also have a positive impact on the environment by promoting resource recovery and reducing the ecological footprint of refining processes.

You’ve recently partnered with REMONDIS PMR. Can you tell us a bit more about that?

Our partnership with REMONDIS PMR is a perfect example of leveraging synergies to deliver greater value to our clients. As sister companies within the same group, BUCHEN-ICS and REMONDIS PMR collaborate closely to offer a unique combination of expertise in catalyst handling and recycling. This partnership enables us to provide our customers with a streamlined, one-stop-shop solution that covers every aspect of catalyst lifecycle management.

By working together, we are able to ensure that spent catalysts and other valuable materials are handled safely, efficiently, and sustainably. BUCHEN-ICS manages the physical handling and logistics of catalyst materials, utilizing advanced technologies and innovative approaches to enhance safety and productivity. Meanwhile, REMONDIS PMR focuses on the recycling process, recovering metals and other valuable resources from spent catalysts, thereby closing the loop and fostering a circular economy.

This collaboration allows us to serve the same group of downstream clients more effectively, offering them a single point of contact for all their catalyst handling and recycling needs. The result is a more efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective service that supports the industry’s goals of reducing waste, conserving resources, and minimizing environmental impact.

What's keeping you up at night (professionally)?

The refining and petrochemical industries are in a constant state of evolution, driven by technological advancements, shifting regulatory landscapes, and increasing demands for sustainability. One of the key challenges we face is staying ahead of these changes while continuing to deliver top-tier services to our clients.

The pressure to adapt to new environmental regulations and standards is significant. We must continuously innovate and refine our processes to ensure that we not only meet, but exceed these standards. This requires ongoing investment in research and development, as well as a commitment to integrating new technologies, such as robotics and automation, into our operations.

Moreover, the global supply chain disruptions and volatility in the market for precious and transition metals present additional challenges. Ensuring that we can recover and recycle these valuable materials efficiently and sustainably, while navigating complex market dynamics, keeps us vigilant and proactive in seeking solutions.

Ultimately, what keeps us up at night is the responsibility to balance these competing demands—safety, sustainability, innovation, and cost-effectiveness—while maintaining our position as industry leaders in catalyst handling and recycling.

What are you expecting from ERTC?

We have always valued the European Refining Technology Conference (ERTC) for its rich tradition and its role as a hub for innovation in the refining industry. ERTC provides an excellent platform for networking with industry leaders, sharing knowledge, and exploring the latest technological advancements. We appreciate the opportunity to engage with peers and stakeholders who share our commitment to driving the industry forward through sustainable practices and cutting-edge solutions.

ERTC’s focus on innovation aligns perfectly with our goals at BUCHEN-ICS and REMONDIS PMR. We look forward to discussing new trends, learning about emerging technologies, and finding opportunities to collaborate on initiatives that enhance both operational efficiency and environmental sustainability. Additionally, ERTC’s emphasis on regulatory developments helps us stay ahead of the curve, ensuring that we are well-prepared to meet future challenges.

Looking into your crystal ball, what will we be discussing by 2030?

By 2030, BUCHEN-ICS and REMONDIS PMR envision a future where sustainability and resource optimization are at the core of the refining and petrochemical industries. Given the limited availability of natural resources, we anticipate that the industry will be increasingly focused on researching and developing alternative energy sources. Innovations in the field of green hydrogen, biofuels, and carbon capture technologies will likely dominate discussions, as companies seek to produce more sustainable products while reducing their carbon footprint.

The circular economy will play a central role in these efforts, with companies like ours leading the charge in catalyst recycling and resource recovery. We believe that by 2030, the industry will be more reliant on closed-loop systems that minimize waste and maximize the reuse of valuable materials. Discussions will likely revolve around how to scale these systems globally, ensuring that industries can meet the growing demand for sustainable energy without depleting natural resources.

In this future, the integration of digital technologies such as AI, machine learning, and automation will also be a key topic. These technologies will enable more efficient and safer operations, allowing companies to optimize processes and reduce environmental impact. The challenge will be to implement these technologies at scale while ensuring that they are accessible to all players in the industry, from large multinationals to smaller, regional operators.