SUEZ, Loop et SK select Saint-Avold, as the site to manufacture virgin-quality PET plastic made from 100% recycled content and infinitely recyclable 

SUEZ, a global leader in circular solutions in water and waste, Loop Industries a clean technology company whose mission is to accelerate a circular plastics economy by manufacturing 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (“PET”) plastic and polyester fiber, and SK Geo Centric, subsidiary of South Korean group SK, announced that the Chemesis industrial platform in Saint-Avold, located in Eastern France, has been selected as the site for their planned manufacturing facility in Europe.

SUEZ, Loop, SK : a unique international consortium in Europe

This international project, supported by the French Ministries of Industry and Ecology, Eastern France region and its agency Invest Eastern France and the Saint-Avold Synergy region community, leverages the experience of SKGC in petrochemical processes, the expertise of SUEZ in the area of resource management and the innovative depolymerization technology of Loop. The facility will manufacture 100% recycled and infinitely recyclable virgin-quality polyethylene terephthalate (“PET”) resin and has a planned capacity of 70,000 metric tons per year. This facility will help address the demand for recycled PET, which has continued to grow due to European regulations and requirements and will provide European-based global brands with a solution to their sustainability objectives of increasing the use of recycled content in their packaging and products.

A strategic location in Europe

The Saint-Avold Chemesis industrial platform is strategically situated in the heart of Europe and provides an efficient industrial and infrastructure network (access to energy notably via existing heat networks, road and rail logistics, suppliers, etc.) making it the optimum environment for the manufacturing facility. This project, which represents a projected overall investment of €450 million, will contribute to the sustainable revitalization of the local industrial base and enable the direct creation of 200 new jobs.

Loop’s depolymerization technology utilizes low heat and no added pressure to upcycle low to no value feedstocks (that will otherwise go to incineration or landfill) into the highest purity, virgin-quality PET plastic. At full capacity, the facility could save over 255,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, when compared to virgin PET resin made from fossil fuels.

A response to the global question of plastic waste treatment

The entry flows of feedstock will be collected, sorted and prepared by SUEZ, leveraging its knowledge of the European plastics market, its partnerships with industrial players and its dense treatment infrastructure network coverage. By leveraging low value waste that is currently destined for landfill or incineration, this facility offers a solution to the global plastic waste challenge.

The three partners aim to start construction work in early 2025 with plant commissioning slated for 2027.