Michelin, Axens partner to build bio-based PEF precursor plant

A 3,000 tonnes/year plant of 5-HMF is scheduled to begin operating in early 2027 at Péage-de-Roussillon, France.

Michelin ResiCare and French chemical recycler and technology provider Axens have entered exclusive discussions on a partnership to industrialise and commercialise 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, or 5-HMF, a bio-based precursor used in the production of polyethylene furanoate. PEF is an alternative to PET for applications including beverage bottles, food packaging and textile fibres. The polymer can be produced from furandicarboxylic acid, which is derived from 5-HMF.

The most important headlines delivered free to your inbox Subscribe to weekly newsletter The proposed partnership would combine a 5-HMF production process developed by Michelin ResiCare and IFP Energies Nouvelles with Axens’ licensing, engineering and international technology deployment capabilities. A first commercial unit is scheduled to begin operating in early 2027 at Péage-de-Roussillon, France. Operated by Michelin ResiCare, the facility is expected to have an annual production capacity of approximately 3,000 tonnes of 5-HMF.

Michelin’s involvement in the molecule began through efforts to replace formaldehyde and resorcinol in adhesive resin formulations. The tyre and materials group began researching alternatives in 2008 and incorporated 5-HMF into ResiCare resins for plywood applications in 2016, initially relying on a limited and costly external supply. Since 2021, Michelin and IFPEN have worked together to develop a more robust and cost-competitive process that produces 5-HMF from fructose.

The partners conducted scale-up trials and engineering studies through the end of 2023. Michelin ResiCare now uses 5-HMF in all its new resin formulations, including products for composites, plywood, abrasives and moulded compounds. Its planned French unit will therefore support the company’s own adhesive materials business while also creating production capacity for wider applications such as PEF.

Under the proposed agreement, Axens would help license and deploy the technology internationally, potentially enabling additional 5-HMF plants to be built beyond Michelin’s initial facility. “We are convinced that 5 HMF is destined to become a benchmark platform molecule for sustainable chemistry,” said Laurent Lemonnier, CEO of Michelin ResiCare. “Our partnership with Axens is a key lever for accelerating its deployment on a global scale and meeting the growing demand for high-performance bio-based solutions.

This collaboration confirms both the strong development potential of 5 HMF across a wide range of applications and the performance of the technology we have developed together with IFPEN.”