Following the construction of its first PLA plant in China in 2021, Futerro plans to set up a new vertically integrated biorefinery in the industrial and port area of Port-Jérôme, Normandy, France.

Futerro has started negotiations with Caux-Seine Agglo and its economic development agency Caux-Seine Développement in order to build the biorefinery, with an annual production capacity of 75,000 tons.

"We describe our polymer as the first "bio-renewable" plastic. Derived from plant-based carbon, it can be recycled easily and ecologically to obtain a virgin polymer of the same quality as its first life cycle: this is a unique characteristic," said Frédéric Van Gansberghe, CEO of Futerro.

Futerro aims to set-up a new fully integrated PLA biorefinery in Normandy, France.

The biorefinery aims to include a lactic acid unit transforming raw materials of agricultural origin, a PLA conversion unit and a unit dedicated to molecular recycling of PLA.

The project will be in line with the best standards in the circular economy, valuing all by-products in various sectors such as green energy, agriculture or animal and human food, thus optimizing the productivity of the infrastructure.

The company has already put an option on a plot of land of approximately 26.5 hectares located in the commune of Saint-Jean-de-Folleville, on the Port-Jérôme industrial estate, and has begun the ecological and environmental analysis procedures on site. During 2023, the project will also be the subject of a preliminary consultation.