Oh Chu Xian’s foray into a more sustainable version of construction began in 2014, when she worked on a project with her father to research and source greener alternative materials for infrastructure. Crude oil and other fossil fuels needed for road construction can be expensive and prices fluctuate greatly. This can affect the local construction industry.
As her family focused on finding a more sustainable and economical way to pave roads, Oh decided this was the role she wanted to play in her family’s legacy, bringing a sustainable angle to it.
After five years, her company, Magorium, developed a prototype that uses plastic waste. It converts plastic waste into NEWBitumen, an innovative road-building material. Its technology involves a three-step process called depolymerisation that breaks down plastic waste chemically.
In the next step, the molecules in the plastic compounds are reconfigured to resemble bitumen—the thick, black substance used for road surfacing and roofing. NEWBitumen is produced by catalysing a chemical link between different molecules.
The by-products of this process are also reused. Recaptured synthesis gas is used to heat the system and biochar is used as fertiliser. Research is currently underway to determine how it can be applied to construction.
Magorium’s ability to recycle various types of plastics makes it unique in the plastic recycling industry. Most other players can only recycle one type. This is made possible through the depolymerisation process, which allows the company to accept all kinds of plastic and break them down accordingly to be recycled.
Currently, the company processes 100kg of plastic a day at its Senoko plant. It plans to increase that to 2,000kg. “Our scaled-up system has been under fabrication for the past six months and will be operational by the end of 2023,” says Oh.
“We are also in talks with several entities that are happy for us to accept their plastic waste and process it sustainably. We hope to launch the larger system next year with the goal of having a greater impact on the recycling of plastic waste in Singapore, thanks to funding from DBS Foundation, Temasek Foundation, and EnterpriseSG.”
Magorium has gained local and international attention since its inception. In 2022, the company hoped to raise at least $6 million in seed funding by early this year, but a series of local grants totalling $1 million have allowed it the luxury of time to pursue this goal more slowly. The aim is steady and sustainable growth.
The company has already made an impact on Singapore roads. Among the “ecoroads” Oh refers to are those at the DBS Newton Green building and the Keppel@ Changi Infrastructure building. “By the end of 2023, it is possible that we will have a few more paved, including those at NUS and Huber’s at Dempsey,” she notes.
Magorium is also in talks with the Republic of Singapore Air Force about NEWBitumen asphalt for runway repairs.
To date, it has already diverted 11,000kg of plastic waste from incineration, turning it into a valuable resource to pave greener roads. It is this impact on the environment that Oh is devoted to.
“It has always been the primary advantage of NEWBitumen that it solves two severe world problems with one technology.”
Oh Chu Xian makes clear the benefits of NEWBitumen
Magorium’s ability to recycle plastic waste and reduce fossil fuel consumption promises to be a game changer, and the 30-year-old is looking forward to the products they are developing for the future.
Producer: Adora Wong
Art director: Chia Wei Choong
Videographer: Alicia Chong
Photographer: Mun Kong
Photographer’s assistant: Alfred Phang
Makeup: Wee Ming using NARS
Hair: Jenny Ng
Car: Mercedes Benz EQS SUV
