Total Corbion PLA, a 50/50 joint venture between global oil and gas major Total S.A. and Netherlands-headed Corbion nv, has announced its intention to build a 100 000 tonnes-per-annum biobased polylactic acid (PLA) plant at a Total site in Grandpuits, France. This expansion would make Total Corbion PLA the global market leader in PLA, firmly positioned to cater to the rapidly growing demand for its "Luminy" PLA resins.
The planned project, which is subject to the information and consultation process of the relevant employee representative bodies in accordance with applicable laws, is part of Total’s announced EUR 500 million Grandpuits refinery repurposing plan to a zero crude biorefining platform. The new plant, the second for the Total Corbion PLA joint venture is planned 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 developing 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, commented 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, said Bernard Pinatel, President Refining & Chemicals at Total.
The total investment in this project is expected to be approximately EUR 200 million and Corbion will continue to be the supplier of lactic acid.
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. said Olivier Rigaud, CEO of Corbion.
“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 as per the EN16785-1 and EN13432 standards respectively, 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.
