September 11, 2026 13:54

TotalEnergies has acquired Plastic Energy’s 35% stake in the Grandpuits chemical recycling plant, in which it already held a 65% interest, becoming the sole owner of the facility.

The transaction is part of the restructuring of Plastic Energy’s shareholding and concerns the plant that began production in March 2026 at the French site in Seine-et-Marne (see article).

The plant, previously referred to as TEPEAR (TotalEnergies Plastic Energy Advanced Recycling), has an annual capacity to process 15,000 tonnes of plastic waste that is difficult to recycle mechanically. Its feedstock also includes household waste streams from French separate collection schemes, including waste collected in yellow recycling bins.

Using Plastic Energy’s TAC pyrolysis technology, the process converts the plastics waste into a synthetic oil that can be used as a circular petrochemical feedstock as an alternative to fossil feedstocks. This enables the production of recycled plastics with the same quality as virgin plastics, including for applications subject to stricter requirements, such as food contact and medical uses.

Upstream in the value chain, TotalEnergies had already signed an agreement with Citeo and Paprec in 2023 to secure the plant’s long-term supply of plastic waste.

Plastic Energy entered insolvency proceedings (administration) in April due to liquidity issues. In August, the company announced a new ownership structure and the return of founder and former CEO Carlos Monreal to lead the UK company following the completion of the restructuring (see article).
The UK company continues to own and operate its recycling plants in Almería and Seville, Spain, as well as its joint venture plant, SABIC Plastic Energy Advanced Recycling (SPEAR), in the Netherlands.

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