Corsair Finland receives third extension for plastic-to-oil trial in Jämsä

Recycling company Corsair Finland has been granted another extension to its experimental operating permit for chemical plastic recycling at the Kaipola industrial site in Jämsä, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reports. The permit authority approved the extension on Monday, allowing the company to continue operations for a further six months until the end of October.

This is the third time the company has applied for an extension since beginning trial operations in spring 2023. The company, which previously operated under the name Kaipola Circular, aims to produce plastic oil from waste plastic using a pyrolysis process.

According to the permit decision issued by the Permit and Supervisory Authority (Lupa- ja valvontavirasto), Corsair has fallen significantly behind its original schedule. The company was initially expected to process around 1,800 tonnes of plastic waste during the trial period, but has handled only 67 tonnes over the entire three years — just 3.7 percent of the original maximum. During one trial period, test runs took place no more than a couple of times per month.

In 2024, the company stated it aimed to process one thousand tonnes of waste plastic by summer 2025. The current application estimates a maximum of 300 tonnes of plastic for the new six-month trial period.

Environmental inspector Niina Lindeman of the authority said the company had not been able to carry out trial operations as originally envisaged under the permit, and that this was the reason for granting additional time.

New conditions attached

The permit authority added one new condition to the extension and amended two existing ones. Corsair is now required to investigate wastewater emissions during the trial period, and to update its monitoring plan covering air and water emissions, including specifying measurement methods, locations, and a precise timetable.

The company must also notify authorities in advance if stored waste volumes rise to 80 tonnes, as this affects the required security deposit. At 80 tonnes, the deposit would be approximately 4,000 euros — intended to cover clean-up costs in the event of insolvency. Corsair currently has around 55 tonnes of waste in storage, for which a deposit of approximately 2,700 euros is held.

City calls for full environmental permit

The permit authority consulted the city of Jämsä before granting the extension. According to the city’s environmental authority, a full environmental permit should have been the primary requirement for continuing operations, rather than a further extension of the trial permit. The source article was truncated before the city’s full position could be reported.