Aduro Clean Technologies (NASDAQ:ADUR) is positioning its Hydrochemolytic Technology (HCT) as a lower-energy alternative to legacy chemical recycling methods, with plans to scale through modular units and a first-of-a-kind deployment in the Netherlands, according to comments from co-founder and CEO Ofer Vicus during a company presentation and Q&A.
From lab concept to commissioned pilot
Vicus said Aduro’s platform technology traces back to a “phenomenon” identified in 2011 and has since been developed into multiple application areas, including chemical recycling, heavy oil upgrading, and renewable oil-to-fuel conversion. He described the company as “quite aggressive” and said the addressable market across its segments is “more than $200 billion today.”
He said the company is now focused on a first-of-a-kind unit planned for the Netherlands, citing regulatory considerations and the advantages of locating within a major chemical hub.
How HCT differs from pyrolysis
Vicus contrasted Aduro’s process with legacy approaches such as pyrolysis (also referred to as thermolysis). He characterized pyrolysis as a method where mixed waste plastics are heated in a “pot,” and said the approach can face technical and economic challenges.
By comparison, Vicus said HCT operates at lower energy, offers higher tolerance to contamination, and delivers a higher yield of materials that can return to plastic “building blocks.” He said Aduro’s process produces circular naphtha—an oil-like output—from waste plastic.
In discussing the underlying chemistry, Vicus said the process relies on an “in situ catalyst,” describing metals found in heavy oil as part of the mechanism under certain conditions of pressure, temperature, and water. He said that enables a more selective breaking of carbon-carbon bonds, rather than broadly “shredding everything.”
He also said Aduro’s approach can avoid traditional hydrogen management. “We found out that if we mix in the process materials such as glycerol, ethanol, methanol… we are actually creating in situ hydrogenation,” Vicus said.
Yield claims and circular naphtha focus
During the Q&A, Vicus addressed comparisons of chemical recycling yield, including figures discussed by the moderator of roughly 75%–80% versus 40%–50%. Vicus argued that yield metrics can vary depending on definitions, noting that some systems may report high conversion to liquids and gases overall, but still produce a significant portion of output that ends up as petroleum products rather than circular naphtha.
“Half of what our peers will do is likely to move into petroleum product, and only half of that final product will move into circular naphtha,” he said. Vicus said Aduro produces “much more material that actually could go to circular naphtha,” which he tied to environmental benefit through greater circular feedstock production.
Modular scale-out strategy and commercialization plans
Vicus emphasized modular deployment as a core element of Aduro’s commercialization strategy, arguing that plastic waste streams are geographically dispersed and variable over time. He said typical commercial chemical recycling facilities may target around 100,000 tons per year, but modular units could better match local supply conditions.
He provided an example of a commercial unit size “about 25,000 tons” and said a unit “can be built in less than one year,” with additional units potentially deployed in parallel through engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) relationships. He suggested that, in the Netherlands, capacity could reach “as high as 100,000 tons,” while also pointing to opportunities in North America and Mexico.
On business model, Vicus said Aduro intends to pursue both build-own-operate and licensing, but expects “90%” of operations to be on a licensing model over time. He said the company chose to own its first units rather than rely entirely on licensing, citing the need to gain operational experience and “be in the trenches.” He also referenced a recent shift toward working with an EPC to build “a licensing machine” that could be replicated for customers.
Permitting seen as key hurdle; near-term focus remains on execution
Asked about hurdles to a 2027 revenue milestone and commissioning a first client machine, Vicus said the largest challenge is regulation and permits. “I think we’ll be ready with the process before the permits will let us,” he said, describing Brightlands Chemelot as a “huge industrial hub” where permitting can be slow.
Vicus also addressed why Aduro selected the Netherlands. He cited Europe’s regulatory environment and said Chemelot is “the most advanced in the regulation,” adding that Aduro is “a pipeline away” from one potential customer and about “50 kilometers away” from another, with room to expand.
In closing remarks, Vicus said the company’s plans are focused on execution regardless of broader macro conditions. He said Aduro is “cashed up” with “CAD 40 million in the bank,” and indicated that higher heavy oil pricing could be beneficial to the company’s heavy oil-related opportunity, though he emphasized that Aduro’s motivation is execution rather than commodity price moves.
About Aduro Clean Technologies (NASDAQ:ADUR)
Aduro Clean Technologies, Inc is a development‐stage clean energy company that designs, develops and seeks to commercialize modular process systems for the production and purification of hydrogen. Listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker ADUR, the company focuses on low‐emission solutions to support the emerging hydrogen economy, including renewable fuel applications, energy storage and industrial gas supply. Aduro Clean Technologies aims to address the growing demand for high‐purity hydrogen across mobility, power generation and chemical processing sectors.
The company’s core technologies include its H2-Conductor platform, a membrane‐based system engineered to separate and purify hydrogen from mixed gas streams, and its H2-Integrate suite of modular reactors capable of producing hydrogen from various feedstocks.
