TotalEnergies Doubles Recycled Polypropylene Capacity in France
October 01, 2021
TotalEnergies announced it has inaugurated the extension of its subsidiary Synova in Normandy, France, doubling its mechanical recycling production capacity for recycled polymers in the process.
Synova, a manufacturer of recycled Polypropylene for the automotive sector, was acquired by TotalEnergies in February 2019.
The acquisition was part of the company's goal to involve plastics recycling as part of its circular economy approach. With the installation of two new production lines, Synova will produce almost 45,000 mt/yr of recycled PP using mechanical recycling methods, including one range containing fiber glass to produce components with very high mechanical performance.
With the extension, TotalEnergies said it is positioned to meet its customers' growing demand for more efficient and environmentally friendly polymers. The investment will also contribute to its ambition for 2030 of producing 30% recycled and renewable polymers.
In addition to mechanical PP recycling, the company is constructing France's first chemical recycling plant, announced in September 2020, on its Grandpuits zero-crude platform. The plant will use Plastic Energy's patented technology to transform plastic waste that is not generally recyclable into a pyrolysis oil called Tacoil, which will then be used as feedstock in TotalEnergies' steam crackers to produce polymers with properties identical to virgin polymers. A second plant with a capacity of 100,000 mt/yr on the Grandpuits zero-crude platform is also planned.
TotalEnergies also has a bioplastics joint venture with Corbion that owns a plant in Thailand producing 75,000 mt/yr of PLA, a 100% bio-based, recyclable and biodegradable bioplastic.
By Brian Balboa for The Plastics Exchange.
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