Ketjen and Axens Strengthen Strategic Partnership Through New Eurecat Agreements and Catalyst Collaboration
Ketjen Corporation and Axens SA have announced a significant reshaping of their long-standing relationship involving Eurecat SA, a global leader in catalyst regeneration and rejuvenation services. The new agreements represent both a realignment of ownership and a deepening of technical collaboration that positions the two companies to drive innovation and sustainability across the global refining and petrochemical industries.
Under the new arrangement, Ketjen will sell its 50 percent ownership stake in Eurecat SA to Axens, transferring full ownership of Eurecat to the French company. The transaction, which remains subject to customary regulatory approvals, also includes the transfer of Ketjen’s Isomerization Catalysts business to Axens. At the same time, Ketjen and Axens have signed new collaboration agreements ensuring continued partnership on advanced catalyst technologies and services, including regeneration, rejuvenation, ex-situ sulfiding, and spent catalyst processing.
Despite the change in ownership, Eurecat will continue to operate as an independent service provider, maintaining its commitment to serve the entire global market. The company will remain open to all operators and catalyst manufacturers, ensuring its services remain accessible and neutral within the broader industry ecosystem. Eurecat’s expertise in extending catalyst life and improving operational performance aligns closely with both Ketjen’s and Axens’ long-term strategies for advancing sustainability and circularity within the energy sector.
A Renewed Focus on Catalyst Innovation and Sustainability
Michael J. Simmons, President of Ketjen, emphasized that the agreements strengthen a partnership that has already proven valuable over many years. “As a result of these agreements, Ketjen’s relationship and collaboration with Eurecat will continue into the future,” Simmons said. “Our clients can expect Ketjen to continue to provide advanced FCC and HPC catalyst solutions for refinery applications, along with ongoing collaboration with Eurecat in regeneration, rejuvenation, ex-situ sulfiding, and spent catalyst processing.”
Ketjen, a global leader in fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) and hydroprocessing (HPC) catalysts, has long focused on delivering solutions that enable refiners to optimize yield, reduce emissions, and extend catalyst performance. The company’s partnership with Eurecat—renowned for its catalyst life-cycle management expertise—has been instrumental in advancing technologies that make refining processes more efficient and environmentally responsible.
By maintaining a collaboration framework with Eurecat under Axens’ full ownership, Ketjen ensures that refiners and petrochemical producers will continue to benefit from advanced catalyst technologies that integrate regeneration and recycling strategies. This approach helps reduce waste, minimize raw material consumption, and support decarbonization goals across the value chain.
Axens’ Strategic Vision for Catalyst Circularity
For Axens, acquiring Eurecat marks a strategic milestone in expanding its service portfolio and accelerating the transition toward circular catalyst management. Quentin Debuisschert, Chairman and CEO of Axens, said the acquisition reflects the company’s broader commitment to innovation and sustainability. “Through this acquisition, Axens intends to further advance catalyst circularity and ex situ activation on all catalysts, while also initiating new initiatives focused on reducing the carbon footprint in catalyst management and activation,” Debuisschert explained.
Axens, a subsidiary of the French energy research and innovation organization IFP Group, has built a reputation for developing and licensing advanced process technologies for the refining, petrochemical, and alternative fuels sectors. Its catalyst and adsorbent portfolio supports a range of industrial processes that convert hydrocarbons, bio-based feedstocks, and waste materials into cleaner fuels and chemicals.
Eurecat’s integration into Axens’ operations strengthens the company’s ability to offer end-to-end catalyst lifecycle solutions—from design and production to activation, regeneration, and recycling. This synergy aligns with the growing global demand for more sustainable industrial processes and supports Axens’ goal of creating a fully circular catalyst value chain.
Eurecat’s Role in a Low-Carbon Future
Eurecat brings more than 45 years of experience in providing technical services to the refining and petrochemical sectors. The company specializes in extending the operational life of catalysts through regeneration and rejuvenation technologies, offering refiners cost-effective alternatives to full catalyst replacement. Its ex-situ activation and sulfiding services allow refineries to safely and efficiently prepare catalysts for use, while its spent catalyst recycling processes contribute to reducing hazardous waste.
Post-acquisition, Eurecat will continue to operate globally, maintaining service centers in key refining hubs across Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia. The company’s ongoing collaboration with Ketjen will focus on enhancing advanced catalyst regeneration technologies that align with the energy transition’s evolving needs. This includes developing solutions to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and support circular resource management within refining and petrochemical operations.
Strengthening Industry Collaboration
The new agreements between Ketjen and Axens represent more than a change in ownership—they mark a continuation of a collaborative relationship that has driven technical progress across the catalyst industry. By maintaining a partnership that bridges two of the sector’s most respected technology providers, refiners and energy producers can expect seamless continuity in product quality, technical expertise, and service delivery.
The alignment also underscores a broader industry trend toward integrating catalyst manufacturing with lifecycle management. As refiners adapt to tighter environmental regulations and the global shift toward decarbonization, the ability to recover, rejuvenate, and recycle catalysts efficiently has become a strategic priority. Eurecat’s enhanced role within Axens’ organization will accelerate the development of integrated solutions that help customers achieve both operational and sustainability goals.
