Total Corbion PLA recently announced that its newly built polylactic acid (PLA) plant with an annual output of 100,000 tons in Grand Puyt, France has entered the pre-engineering design stage, and the plant will be put into operation in 2024.
Total Corbion PLA is a joint venture established by Total and Corbion each holding half of its shares. It mainly produces polylactic acid resin to meet the market's demand for Luminy® polylactic acid resin.
Total Corbion PLA awarded the front-end engineering design contract to NextChem, a subsidiary of Maire Tecimont S.p.a. The combination of Maire Tecimont's traditional plastic polymerization process and NextChem's combination of innovative green chemistry solutions ensures the smooth progress of plant engineering design.
Thomas Philipon, CEO of Total Corbion PLA, said: "The signing of this contract with NextChem is an important milestone, and it strengthens our commitment to the global bioplastics market as the first company to launch commercial-scale production from lactic acid to PLA in Europe. . We are proud to propose large-scale solutions and support the development of circular economy."
Luminy® PLA resin is bio-based and made from renewable resources every year. Compared with traditional plastics, its carbon footprint is reduced. At the end of its useful life, PLA products can be recycled physically or chemically.
PLA's biodegradable and compostable functions make it the material of choice for various markets and applications, including fresh fruit packaging, food serving dishes, consumer durables, toys, and 3D printing.