TotalEnergies Launches 15,000-Ton/Year Advanced Recycling Plant
On March 19, 2026, TotalEnergies began production at France's first advanced plastics recycling plant, located at its Grandpuits complex southeast of Paris. The facility has an annual processing capacity of 15,000 tons and utilizes an innovative pyrolysis technology from partner Plastic Energy. This process heats hard-to-recycle plastic waste from French households in an oxygen-free environment, converting it into a synthetic oil.
This synthetic oil serves as a petrochemical feedstock, directly substituting for fossil fuels in the production chain. The resulting plastics are of the same quality as virgin materials, enabling their use in demanding applications such as food packaging and medical devices. To ensure a stable input stream, TotalEnergies secured long-term supply agreements for plastic waste with French partners Citeo and Paprec in 2023.
Grandpuits Plant Advances 'Zero-Crude' Strategy
The new recycling operation represents a significant milestone in the conversion of the Grandpuits refinery into a "zero-crude platform." This strategic transformation moves the site away from traditional oil and gas processing and toward circular economy solutions, strengthening TotalEnergies' position in sustainable energy. This pivot is designed to improve the company's environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics and capture interest from investors focused on sustainability.
The start-up of the first advanced plastics recycling plant in France is an important milestone in the conversion of our Grandpuits site into a zero-crude complex.
— Valérie Goff, Senior Vice President, Renewables, Fuels & Chemicals at TotalEnergies.
The project establishes a new domestic recycling industry for plastics that were previously sent to landfills or incinerated, creating a closed-loop system that supports both environmental goals and the development of new industrial capabilities.
Edgen Stock·Mar 19 2026, 09:09
