Loop Industries announces selection of Port-Jérôme, France, as site for first European Infinite Loop manufacturing facility
Loop Industries, Inc., announced the selection of the site for its first European Infinite Loop manufacturing facility. As previously disclosed, Loop and leading French environmental services group Suez, have announced their intent to form a joint venture to build the first Infinite Loop manufacturing facility in Europe. The two companies have secured exclusive rights until June 2022 to purchase a 130,000m² parcel of land in Port-Jérôme-sur-Seine, in the region of Normandy in Northern France. The purchase price for the land is approximately €1.3 M.
The site is strategically located for waste plastic feedstock transportation via the Seine River from the Paris region and is well located to service the large French CPG brand companies. The capital investment required for the project is expected to be €250 M and the project is expected to create 180 full-time manufacturing and engineering jobs. The next major steps for the project include permitting, finalising customer offtake agreements and financing, including support from the French government. Following the completion of permitting, construction of the facility is expected to begin in 2023, with commissioning approximately 18 months later.
The Infinite Loop manufacturing model is designed to produce 70,000t of PET resin made from 100% recycled content per year. The facility will provide an opportunity for global CPG brands based in France to accelerate the achievement of their sustainability objectives by gaining access to locally produced virgin-quality PET plastic and polyester fibre made entirely from waste material. At full capacity, the facility is projected to save over 255,000t of CO2 annually, when compared to virgin PET resin made from fossil fuels. The majority of the incoming waste plastic feedstock for the facility is currently not recycled and contributes to the waste plastic pollution problem, says the company. The facility is aligned with European plastic regulation and objectives, such as the EU’s plastic levy, which charges €800/t of non-recyclable plastic waste, as well as France’s ambition to transition to 100% recyclable plastic by 2025.
Port-Jérôme was selected after an extensive review of several dozen potential sites across Europe. Loop states that the Normandy region offers a skilled labor pool, favorable logistics and a supportive regional government which has articulated a clear vision of a more sustainable future focused on the circular economy. The Infinite Loop France manufacturing facility will create circularity in plastic packaging for leading global consumer brands based in France, including Danone, L’Oréal and L’Occitane, and help them meet their commitments for a high level of recycled plastic content.
