Total Corbion PLA, a 50/50 joint venture between Total and Corbion, announces its intention to build its second PLA plant with a capacity ramping up to 100,000 tons per annum. This expansion would make Total Corbion PLA the global market leader in PLA, firmly positioned to cater for the rapidly growing demand for Luminy® PLA resins. The new plant is planned to be located on a Total site in Grandpuits, France and to be operational in 2024.
“Announcing our second plant project, less than two years after we started up commercial scale production at our first plant in Thailand, demonstrates our commitment to develop PLA bioplastics and our ambition to become the world leader in PLA. We are proud to be the first company launching a commercial scale Lactic Acid to PLA plant in Europe” comments Stéphane Dion, CEO of Total Corbion PLA.
Corbion and Total, the two shareholders of the joint venture, are fully supporting its ambitious growth plans.
“We are very pleased to announce this second PLA plant project located in Grandpuits, France on Total’s new “Zero petrol platform”, strengthening our successful partnership with Corbion. This is fully in line with Total’s strategy to innovate and grow in circular economy solutions. Bioplastics are a great complement to meet the rising demand for polymers while contributing towards reducing end-of-life concerns”, says Bernard Pinatel, President Refining & Chemicals at Total.
“This is excellent news for Corbion, Total, our joint venture, and for the world. Fully in line with our purpose ‘Preserving what matters’, PLA is increasingly finding its place as a bioplastic, enabling acceleration towards a circular economy. In our recently released Advance 2025 strategy one of our goals is, together with Total, to become the market leader in PLA. This new plant puts us firmly on track to achieve that goal.” says Olivier Rigaud, CEO of Corbion.
The total investment in this project is expected to be approximately 200 million Euro and Corbion will continue to be the supplier of lactic acid.
Luminy® PLA resins are biobased and made from annually renewable resources, offering a reduced carbon footprint versus many traditional plastics. At the end of its useful life, PLA products can be mechanically or chemically recycled. The biodegradable and compostable functionalities of PLA make it the material of choice for a wide range of markets and applications including fresh fruit packaging, food service ware, durable consumer goods, toys and 3D printing.
The project remains subject to the information and consultation process of the relevant employee representative bodies in accordance with applicable laws.
For more information on how to make the switch to biobased PLA please contact us.
About Total Corbion PLA
Total Corbion PLA is a global technology leader in Poly Lactic Acid (PLA) and lactide monomers. PLA is a biobased and biodegradable polymer made from annually renewable resources, offering a reduced carbon footprint versus many traditional plastics. The Luminy® PLA portfolio, which includes both high heat and standard PLA grades, is an innovative material that is used in a wide range of markets from packaging to consumer goods, fibers and automotive. Total Corbion PLA, headquartered in the Netherlands, operates a 75,000 tons per year PLA production facility in Rayong, Thailand. The company is a 50/50 joint venture between Total and Corbion. www.total-corbion.com
About Total
Total is a broad energy company that produces and markets fuels, natural gas and low-carbon electricity. Our 100,000 employees are committed to better energy that is more affordable, more reliable, cleaner and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, our ambition is to become the responsible energy major.
About Corbion
Corbion is the global market leader in lactic acid and its derivatives, and a leading supplier of emulsifiers, functional enzyme blends, minerals, vitamins, and algae ingredients. We use our unique expertise in fermentation and other processes to deliver sustainable solutions for the preservation of food and food production, health, and our planet. Our solutions help differentiate products in markets such as food, home & personal care, animal nutrition, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and bioplastics. In 2019, Corbion generated annual sales of € 976.4 million and had a workforce of 2.138 FTE. Corbion is listed on Euronext Amsterdam.
Note:
The terms ‘biobased’ and ‘compostable’ or ‘biodegradable’ in this communication refer to the EN16785-1 and EN13432 standards respectively.
Source
Total Corbion PLA, press release, 2020-09-24.
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