The facilities made available to Carbios will accommodate all of the Company’s activities, currently spread over several locations. In particular, they will include the development laboratory, the pilot facility and demonstration plant of Carbios’ enzymatic recycling technology for PET plastics and fibers. This move will support Carbios’ corporate and operational synergies to advance project development and ensure technological and economic optimization.
This strategic decision reinforces Carbios’ ambitions to position itself as the world leader in biological technologies for the end of life of plastics and synthetic fibers. The quality of the new infrastructure will enable Carbios to improve the risk profile associated with the industrial demonstration phase while controlling costs and deadlines. The operational teams, now grouped on the same site, will benefit from an optimal environment to successfully industrialize Carbios’ technology. Carbios’ demonstration plant, initially planned in Saint-Fons (Rhône, France) and now integrated on the new site, will be operational in September 2021 versus June 2021. This decision supports Carbios’ ambition to grant its first enzymatic recycling technology license by 2023 and provide a better integration of the Company’s current and future partners.
This move underlines Michelin’s support for Carbios’ technological solutions, following its participation in the Carbios’ recent, successful capital increase.
Jean-Claude Lumaret, Carbios’ Chief Executive Officer, noted, “This is a real opportunity for Carbios to reinforce the cooperation between its teams and promote the consistency of all its activities in an innovative environment. This collaboration, with a world-renowned company such as Michelin, highlights the attractiveness of our technology and allows Carbios to benefit from a unique and rich ecosystem to continue its industrialization phase.”