Groupe Renault announced today the launch of Re-FACTORY, the first circular economy factory in Europe dedicated to mobility. The factory will be created through the transformation of the company’s site in Flins, France, and aims to bring the plant to a negative CO2 balance by 2030.

According to Groupe Renault, today’s announcement is in line with the company’s environmental strategy to achieve carbon neutrality in Europe by 2050. In addition to achieving negative carbon status, the facility will support circular economy through a focus on key areas of vehicle lifecycle, including supply, eco-design, economy of functionality, maintenance, reuse, remanufacturing and recycling. The Flins site will generate a positive ecosystem contribution, and will also promote activities with a lower impact on water, energy and material resources.

Jean-Dominique Senard, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Renault, said:

“This announcement is the result of the remarkable work of Renault’s teams and constructive consultation with our stakeholders, including local authorities. The RE-FACTORY is a new breath of life for Renault, its employees and for the entire region’s dynamism. This project is based on our pioneering commitment to the circular economy, on our values, on our know-how and fully meets our ambition to positively transform our industry.”

The transformation of the plant is anticipated to take place between 2021 and 2024, and will be structured around four activity centres, including RE-TROFIT, grouping together all the activities enabling the life of vehicles and their uses to be extended; RE-ENERGY, focusing on development of applications arising from electric batteries and new energies; RE-CYCLE, focusing on efficient management of resources and their flows to promote the supply of parts and materials in short loops and integrating a growing share of recycled or reused materials, and; RE-START, aimed at developing and enhancing industrial know-how, and accelerating research and innovation in the circular economy.

Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault, said:

“With the RE-FACTORY, Flins will become a European reference in the circular economy. RE-FACTORY will enable the Group to respond to the challenges facing mobility and automotive industry players today – and even more so tomorrow. This plant, with an objective of a negative CO2 balance by 2030, is fully in line with the Group’s global strategy by combining circular economy, reduction of emissions, developmen of skills and the creation of new value-generating activities.”