TotalEnergies plans to invest over €500 million to convert its Grandpuits refinery in France into a zero-crude platform. The project aims to produce biofuels, bioplastics, and recycled plastics, with a start of production scheduled for 2024. The biofuels unit will have a capacity of 400,000 metric tons per year and will primarily serve the aviation industry. The site will also house Europe's first PLA bioplastics plant and France's first chemical recycling plant. Additionally, TotalEnergies will build two photovoltaic solar plants to provide green electricity to the new facilities. The industrial redeployment will not result in any layoffs and is expected to create up to 1,000 jobs during the construction phase.
Location: Grandpuits, France
Operations: production of biofuels, bioplastics and recycled plastics
Capacity:
- 400,000 metric tons/year of biomass converted into biofuels;
- 100,000 t/y of bioplastics;
- 15,000 t/y of recycled plastic waste
Start of production : 2024
€500+ million to be invested
In September 2020, TotalEnergies announced plans to invest more than €500 million to convert its Grandpuits refinery into a zero-crude platform. Biofuels, bioplastics and plastic waste recycling form the backbone of this project, which is part of our strategy to get to net-zero emissions by 2050.
Grandpuits, a platform for low-carbon energies
- 400,000 metric tons/year of biomass converted into biofuels, primarily for aviation
- 100,000 metric tons/year of PLA bioplastics produced
- 15,000 metric tons/year of plastic waste recycled
A bio-refinery, primarily serving the aviation industry
A biofuels unit with a processing capacity of 400,000 metric tons per year will be commissioned in 2024 to produce:
- Sustainable aviation fuel (170,000 metric tons/year);
- Renewable diesel (120,000 metric tons/year);
- Renewable naptha (50,000 metric tons/year) used to product bioplastics .
The unit will mainly process animal fats from Europe and used cooking oil, supplemented by other vegetable oils such as rapeseed (but excluding palm oil). Priority will be given to local suppliers.
The biofuels from the new plant are primarily intended for the aviation industry. They will therefore contribute to France’s target of incorporating 2% biofuel into jet fuel by 2025, and 5% by 2030, in line with the country’s roadmap.
An immediately available alternative to liquid fuels, biofuels emit at least 50% less CO2e than their fossil equivalents. For this reason, they form one of the pillars of TotalEnergies' strategy for meeting the challenge of carbon neutrality.
TotalEnergies signs two partnerships and accelerates the conversion of the Grandpuits site's zero oil platform
Announced since September 2020, the investment and transformation program for the Grandpuits site is beginning to take shape. In recent months, two agreements have been signed to accelerate this transformation process:
- On September 26, TotalEnergies and SARIA, a leader on the European market for the collection and valorization of organic materials into sustainable products, have concluded an agreement to develop sustainable aviation fuel production on the Grandpuits (Seine-et-Marne) zero-crude platform.
- On November 22, TotalEnergies and Air Liquide are innovating to produce and valorize renewable, low carbon hydrogen at the Grandpuits zero crude platform.
These two partnerships are part of the company's commitment to transform the Grandpuits site into a zero-oil platform by 2024. The production of biofuels, bioplastics and the recycling of plastic waste are at the heart of this project, which is part of our strategy to become carbon neutral by 2050, together with the society.
A PLA (Polylactic acid) bioplastics plant: the first in Europe
Following the success of its first PLA plant in Thailand, which started up in 2018, the joint venture (TotalEnergies 50%, Corbion 50%) will build Europe’s first PLA plant at the Grandpuits site in France. This second unit is slated to begin operations in 2024.
With a production capacity of 100,000 metric tons per year, it will make our joint venture with Corbion the world’s biggest producer of PLA.
PLA is a biodegradable and recyclable bioplastic produced from sugar. In terms of performance, it rivals fossil-fuel-based plastics while emitting only a third as much CO2. PLA can be used to make plastic films and rigid packaging and has a wide range of industrial applications, all of which is fueling market growth of 15% a year.
A plastics recycling plant: the first in France
The Company will build France’s first chemical recycling plant with Plastic Energy (TotalEnergies 60%, Plastic Energy 40%). It will have a processing capacity of 15,000 metric tons of plastic waste per year and is scheduled to start up in 2023.
Based on innovative recycling technology, the plant will convert plastic waste into an oil called “TACOIL” through a pyrolysis melting process. This oil will then be used as feedstock for the production of polymers with identical properties to virgin polymers, making them suitable for use in food-grade applications – a major criterion for food packaging businesses.
The plant will help us meet our objective of producing 30% of polymers from recycled materials by 2030.
Two photovoltaic solar plants
52 MW of solar power generated at the Grandpuits and Gargenville sites
TotalEnergies will build two photovoltaic solar plants, one with a capacity of 28 megawatts-peak at the Grandpuits site, the other with a capacity of 24 megawatts-peak at the Gargenville site, together equivalent to the electricity consumption of 30,000 people.
The plants will be built and operated by TotalEnergies, a wholly owned TotalEnergies affiliate that specializes in renewable energy development and production in France.
Their purpose is to provide green electricity to the new facilities, thereby contributing to TotalEnergies' ambition to power all of its industrial sites in Europe this way.
A responsible industrial redeployment with no layoffs
TotalEnergies will carry out this industrial redeployment with no layoffs thanks to early retirements and internal mobility within the Company’s sites, providing each employee with an appropriate solution. Of the 400 jobs currently at the Grandpuits platform and its associated Gargenville depot in Greater Paris, 250 will be maintained after the conversion. Furthermore, 15 additional jobs will be created at the Grandpuits site in a packaging unit connected to the bioplastics plant.
In addition, the work projects generated by this industrial investment of more than 500 million euros will create up to 1,000 jobs over the three-year period for construction of the new units.
TotalEnergies has also carried out a thorough review of the partner companies working on the platform, which together amount to the equivalent of 300 full-time jobs. The Company is committed to supporting each partner company during the industrial repurposing of the site. In its new configuration, the Grandpuits platform will continue to prioritize its partner businesses, which will represent the equivalent of 200 full-time jobs.
TotalEnergies will, of course, continue to meet all of its contractual commitments to its customers.
“ Grandpuits will remain a major industrial site drawing on the know-how and expertise of its teams, and our partner firms will be playing a key role as well.” Bernard Pinatel President of TotalEnergies Refining & Chemicals