semi-industrial facility fulfilling first customer orders of high-performance zeolites for multiple catalytic applications

--- PRESS RELEASE --- May 2025 ---

Leuven, Belgium — May 8, 2025 — Zeopore, a leading innovator in zeolite enhancement technologies for high catalytic performance, proudly announces that its recently commissioned semi-industrial production facility is supplying the first customer orders. This marks a major milestone in the company’s growth, as larger quantities of high-performance modified zeolites and catalysts are being produced and commercially delivered to international customers across various applications.

Watch VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEWh2d_smEk

Designed for scalability and versatility, the multi-purpose installation supports a wide array of tightly controlled treatments essential for producing advanced zeolites. These materials offer significant economic advantages in catalytic processes such as FCC, hydrocracking, dewaxing, petrochemical conversions and many circular applications. With an annual production capacity valued at approximately €25 million, the facility positions Zeopore for its next phase of industrial expansion.

"We are proud to have transitioned from pilot to semi-industrial production, following the completion and commissioning of the facility late last year,” says Leen Spooren, Operations Manager of Zeopore. “This new capability allows us to serve global partners with bigger volumes, premium-quality materials, and greater flexibility for joint development. It also enables a key step in the industrialization of our high-performance products.”

Scaling up from lab-scale to semi-industrial processes is a challenging yet rewarding endeavour. The hands-on experience of assembling and operating the unit provided critical insights into process intensification. Key technological features — including a central valve system for precise mesoporization control and Zeopore’s proprietary filtration processing — ensure both quality and cost-efficiency. Our processes start from low-cost, non-optimized parent zeolites, and result in high-performance, cost-effective zeolites and catalysts. In addition, mesoporous zeolites can be outfitted with both base metal and noble metal components as part of the catalyst recipe. Final products are collected, dried, packaged, and shipped directly to customers worldwide.

The Belgium-based semi-industrial facility aims to demonstrate safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible production. Zeopore’s premium catalysts not only enhance performance in traditional refining and petrochemical operations but also boost the economic feasibility of sustainable and circular catalytic applications.

“Zeopore’s modified zeolites are being produced at scale and will be delivered to multinational customers active in major markets,” added Kurt Du Mong, CEO of Zeopore. “Our materials are supporting cleaner, more energy-efficient catalytic processes and enabling the industry’s transition to renewable feedstocks, biofuels, biochemicals, CO₂ valorization, and chemical recycling of plastics.”

“Our products have been positively tested in advanced processes by leading global industry players. We are currently executing production runs from our Leuven facility,” said Du Mong. “With our proprietary technologies, Zeopore aims to become a supplier of choice in the zeolite catalyst industry and is targeting mid-term revenues of €200 million, with attractive profitability. Our ambition is to firmly anchor Zeopore as a key contributor to the future of the chemical industry.”

Designed for scalability and versatility, the multi-purpose installation supports a wide array of tightly controlled treatments essential for producing advanced zeolites. Key technological features — including a central valve system for precise mesoporization control and Zeopore’s proprietary filtration processing (photo) — ensure both quality and cost-efficiency.

--- April 2025 ---

INTRODUCING OUR NEW INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION FACILITY FOR MODIFIED ZEOLITES

We are excited to introduce our new production facility for modified zeolites. Designed and constructed throughout 2024, the unit was successfully commissioned and started up by year-end. Since then, multiple production trials have confirmed its readiness for industrial-scale manufacturing.

Built for versatility, this multi-purpose installation enables a wide range of treatments necessary for producing high-performance modified zeolites. These materials bring significant benefits to industrial applications such as cracking, dewaxing, and FCC. With an annual output capacity generating approximately €10 million, this facility marks a pivotal step for Zeopore’s large-scale production.

Translating lab-scale processes into an industrial environment was an exciting challenge. Being actively involved in assembling and operating the unit provided valuable insights into process intensification. Key features, like the advanced valve system, ensure precise control of mesoporization, while our patented filtering approach guarantees cost-efficient, high-quality production. Deposited zeolites are collected, dried, packaged, and shipped to customers worldwide.

Our flexible and fully operational production facility ensures a safe, efficient, and environmentally responsible production of high-quality zeolites.

--- May 2024 ---

Successful chemical commissioning run completed with our in-house industrial scale unit

Our newly constructed production facility is designed to produce modified zeolites for both conventional and sustainable applications. This will benefit the refining and petrochemical markets, as well as sectors involved in renewable fuels and chemicals, CO2 capture, and plastic waste recycling. Following a successful (water) liquid run, we have now conducted the installation's first full recipe commissioning run.

The run was a great success, producing our largest batch of mesoporized zeolite ever. This run confirms the installation's capability to smoothly execute the sequence of recipe steps needed to mesoporize our model zeolite. All associated targets were met, including process timings, required flows, temperatures, quality homogeneity and the unit's ease of handling.

The run was meticulously prepared, following a detailed process script and a rigorous safety assessment. As a result, our industrial-scale unit successfully passed the process qualification test.

The next step in the coming weeks will focus on process validation. We will conduct a series of consecutive runs to evaluate the reproducibility of product quality and operating conditions. And a number of additional production runs will help establish product specifications and assess filter unit wear.

Upon completing these final steps, the installation will be ready to fulfill customer orders from world-leading catalyst suppliers. The industrial-scale unit will then produce modified zeolites with enhanced catalytic performance at a ton scale. Our end products will benefit refining and petrochemical companies, as well as those involved in catalytic renewable processes, by making their operations more efficient, economical, and sustainable.

--- March 2024 ---

The construction of our Zeopore industrial scale unit for mesoporizing zeolites is indeed quite a milestone for our growing company. Our aim is to deliver modified zeolites with better catalytic performance on the ton scale to refining and petrochemical companies, making their processes more performant, economical and sustainable.

Watch the longer timelapse to see our in-house installation for mesoporizing zeolites take shape in greater detail. As the commissioning is now completed, the installation is ready to fulfil customer orders received from world-leading catalyst suppliers.

In addition to our bespoke catalyst innovations, we are developing process technology to facilitate the delivery of modified zeolites on a ton scale to refining and petrochemical companies, making their plants more performant, economical and sustainable. This strengthens our IP and technology position along the journey from lab to full-scale industrial production.

Furthermore, our installation will serve as a hub for producing modified zeolites tailored for circular applications, such as renewable fuels and chemicals, CO2 capturing, and plastic waste recycling.

The Flemish government (VLAIO) strongly believes in our added value to the circularity of the chemical industry, and financially supports this development since the start.

We thank our investors for their commitment, our engineering partners for their flexibility, our customers for their trust, and our operations team for their relentless dedication, to make this a reality within the year, from initial idea to implementation.

Follow this news series to witness what Zeopore has in store the coming months. We are excited to set up our own industrial scale unit! You find the latest news at the top.

--- Early November 2023 ---

The realization of our scale unit is progressing well. Currently we are in the assembly, finalization and testing phase of all individual equipment parts as well as the 3D design of the entire plant. This effort is effectuated together with engineering company Konzept Engineering Services GmbH, a renowned German company with experience in such wet chemical processes.

An important element in the new scale unit is the steel platform which will hold all reactors. This structure was separately designed and is now being constructed and welded. Of course, the platform comes in Zeopore’s blue and white branding colors.

Here you see the delivery of the colored steel platform parts.

To speed up the commissioning process and get the scale unit ready for operation as soon as possible, Zeopore decided to test run the modified filter at the assembly location before transportation to Leuven. The following footage shows an initial trial of a zeolite slurry filtration.

In the coming weeks, everything will be assembled and installed at our location in Leuven, for which we defined the necessary manpower, safety instructions and timelines.

This stage is yet another important step in our scaling up adventure, further process optimization and ability to supply larger (ton scale) volumes to our customers.

--- October 2023 ---

On-site preparations are taking place to install required process utilities. The available electric power has increased tenfold to drive and control the entire unit. A big compressor system was installed to supply sufficient air to run the unit. And a tempered water system has arrived to control the process temperature.

--- March to September 2023 ---

A lot of work has been done on the drawing table, in collaboration with engineering company Konzept Engineering Services GmbH. At the same time equipment has been sourced, modified and prepared for installation.

--- February and March 2023 ---

Early on in 2023, Zeopore decided to build its own production unit for mesoporized zeolites. While presenting the operations team who kicked off this project, Henk Janssen briefly explained the purpose of this remarkable endeavor, while presenting the team who is turning this into reality.