Renault have announced the transformation of their site in Flins, about 40 km from Paris, to create what they call their Refactory, Europe’s first circular economy factory dedicated to mobility with a negative CO2 balance by 2030. This project, part of the Group’s transformation strategy, will enable Renault to benefit from a rapidly growing source of value while reinforcing their industrial footprint in France. Renault aim to employ more than 3,000 people on the site by 2030.
With the Refactory, Flins will become a European reference in the circular economy. It will enable the Group to respond to current and future challenges facing the mobility and automotive industries. Renault CEO Luca de Meo says the plant is fully in line with the Group’s global strategy by combining circular economy, reduction of emissions, development of skills, and the creation of new value-generating activities.
The Refactory, to be realised between 2021 and 2024, will involve a large network of multisectoral partners—startups, academic partners, major groups, local authorities, et al—and will be structured around four activity centres:
• Retrofit: this division will group all the activities enabling the life of vehicles and their uses to be extended, in coördination with the Recycle division to ensure efficient management of the flow of used parts and materials within the same site;
• Reenergy: this cluster plans to develop the potential of applications arising from electric batteries and new energies to an industrial scale;
• Recycle: this division brings together all the Group’s flows to promote the supply of parts and materials in short loops, integrating recycled materials, and
• Restart: to enhance and develop industrial expertise, and accelerate research and innovation in the circular economy, this cluster plans to house an incubator as well as a university and training centre.