Corbion, Total to build €200m PLA bioplastics plant in France

Corbion, a Dutch food and biochemicals company, and French energy company Total revealed plans to construct a new polylactic acid (PLA) bioplastics plant in France with an investment of around €200 million.

The PLA bioplastics plant is planned to be built in Grandpuits through the Total Corbion PLA joint venture.

Likely to have a capacity of 100,000 tons per annum, it will be the first world-scale PLA production facility to be built in Europe, claimed Corbion.

The new PLA bioplastics plant is aimed to begin operations in 2024.

Olivier Rigaud – CEO of Corbion said: “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.”

Corbion and Total will equally fund the bioplastics project with third party debt also likely to be part of the financing.

Bernard Pinatel – President of Total Refining & Chemicals said: “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.”

Corbion said that the new plant also triggers a final settlement pertaining to the Total Corbion PLA joint venture lactide plant.

The Dutch firm said that it will continue to supply lactic acid to the Total Corbion PLA joint venture. Earlier this year, Corbion said that it will construct a new lactic acid plant in Thailand, which is expected to begin operations in 2023.