Carbios and Indorama Ventures to build first-of-a-kind manufacturing plant for fully bio-recycled PET in France

Carbios and Indorama Ventures have announced a collaboration to build a manufacturing plant operating Carbios’ PET bio-recycling technology at Indorama Ventures’ PET production site in Longlaville, France.

Carbios is thus moving a step closer to the industrialisation and commercialisation by partnering with Indorama Ventures. The goal is to build and operate the world’s first industrial-scale enzymatic PET bio-recycling plant, with a processing capacity estimated at around 50,000 tonnes of post-consumer PET waste per year, equivalent to two billion PET bottles or 2.5 billion PET trays.

Carbios CEO Emmanuel Ladent said: “With this first medium-sized plant, we want to become the world reference for the Circular Economy of plastics and textiles. By engaging in such a partnership with Indorama Ventures, we confirm our commitment to pursue our initial industrial development in France. This plant will pave the way towards international commercial and industrial deployment. We are grateful to our shareholders, partners, the French Government, and Grand-Est Region for sharing Carbios’ ambitions and vision towards a profitable Circular Economy.”

After the positive results of Indorama Ventures’ initial analysis on the technical soundness of Carbios’ technology over the past several months, both parties agreed to complete a due diligence process. A feasibility study will be conducted for the industrialisation of Carbios’ technology on Indorama Ventures’ French production site. Subject to the successful completion of these technical and economical evaluations, Indorama Ventures would co-invest in the project.

Indorama Ventures CEO D K Agarwal added: “We are pleased to implement Carbios’ innovative and transformative technology at our Longlaville site. Bio-recycled PET addresses customers’ growing demand to contribute to a cleaner planet through high-quality plastics while decreasing the use of hydrocarbons.”

The capital investment required for the project is expected to be around €150m for Carbios’ core technology, including an additional purification step. An estimated €50m investment will be allocated for the infrastructure preparation of the site.

This financial support will be conditional on the notification to the European Commission and on contractualisation by French authorities.

Carbios’ enzyme-based biological process, C-ZYME, converts PET into its core monomers, which can then be used to manufacture 100 per cent recycled and infinitely recyclable PET. This first-of-a-kind manufacturing plant combines Carbios’ science and technology with Indorama Ventures’ manufacturing capabilities.