TotalEnergies takes full ownership of TEPEAR chemical recycling facility
Key takeaways
- Plastic Energy has transferred its stake in the TEPEAR chemical recycling facility to TotalEnergies.
- Plastic Energy is restructuring around its Spanish plants, industry partnerships, and proprietary TAC technology.
- TotalEnergies will continue operating TEPEAR at an industrial scale using Plastic Energy’s technology.
Plastic Energy has transferred its stake in TotalEnergies Plastic Energy Advanced Recycling (TEPEAR) facility in Grandpuits, France, to TotalEnergies.
The divestment is part of the chemical recycling technology provider’s core operations restructuring strategy, following founder Carlos Monreal’s return as CEO. The facility will continue to operate at industrial scale under full TotalEnergies ownership, using Plastic Energy’s proprietary TAC chemical recycling technology.
“Plastic Energy is entering its next chapter with a clear focus on ensuring operational excellence at every plant using our technology, scaling up our existing plants in Spain, deepening our value-chain partnerships, and advancing the technology that will help close the loop on the global plastic value chain,” says Carlos Monreal, CEO at Plastic Energy.
The company’s TAC technology aims to convert hard-to-recycle plastic waste into recycled polymer feedstocks.
Scaling chemical recycling
Plastic Energy says that it will continue to operate its chemical recycling plants in Almeria and Seville, Spain. Last year, the company produced the first batch of pyrolysis oil, Tacoil, at its joint venture facility with Sabic.
The oil serves as a replacement for conventional naphtha in existing petrochemical plants, enabling the manufacturing of products, including food-contact packaging and medical-grade plastics.
Packaging Insights recently spoke to an expert about how chemical recycling is entering a new stage of investment and regulatory support. However, an environmental expert highlighted that questions over economic viability and environmental performance continue.
Partnerships and investment in chemical recycling are steadily increasing as developments in the US and EU aim to provide greater regulatory certainty.
Earlier this month, Kirin Holdings’ Packaging Innovation Institute and The Japan Steel Works successfully developed and tested a PET chemical recycling technology, achieving over 95% depolymerization.
LyondellBasell installed two pyrolysis reactors at its new chemical recycling facility in Wesseling, Germany. Meanwhile, Mondelēz International rolled out chocolate packaging with 75% chemically recycled content.
