The project to build a plastic recycling plant has been put on hold in Moselle. Another project in France is also affected.
Two projects for chemical plastic recycling plants in France are delayed or suspended, depending on the case, due to the regulatory and economic context, we learned on Monday from the companies concerned.
It is of the plastic chemical recycling plant project planned by the American group Eastman in Port-Jérôme (Seine-Maritime), and PET plastic factory project from recycled waste driven by Suez, the Canadian Loop Industries and the South Korean SK Geo Centric in Moselle.
These two projects were announced at the beginning of 2022 during the fifth edition of the Choose France summit and carried part of the promises of reindustrialization of the country.
The Eastman Group project, which was due to be commissioned in 2026, has been delayed due to “European legislative context“, a representative of the group said on Monday, confirming information from L'Usine Nouvelle.
A “regulatory uncertainty“European “force a delay in the time of the project, which does not at all mean that it is canceled or it is no longer relevant“, specified this representative.
“Initially, the European regulation “ on packaging and packaging waste “had included wording that restricted the possibility of importing recycled plastic material” in Europe, indicated this source, according to which, “this writing has been modified“, thus jeopardizing the economic viability of the project.
Safeguards have been put in place in the text, “but which most industrial players do not consider sufficient“, added this source, to explain this delay, while at this stage, Eastman “has no concluded contracts.”
In Moselle, the construction project for the Saint Avold PET resin production plantinitiated in 2020 by Suez, Loop Industries and SK Geo Centric, “is suspended by mutual agreement“, Suez told AFP.
“The inflation of project costs and the macroeconomic situation call into question the balance of the project”specified Suez, which did not give a new timetable.
This suspension “comes after a favorable consultation phase“, and before starting the authorization request phase, added Suez, who assured that it wanted to continue research and development on this technology.
