METABOLIC EXPLORER : De Smet Engineers et Contractors selected to build PDO/AB plant

De Smet Engineers & Contractors selected
to build PDO/AB plant

Clermont-Ferrand, 17 January 2019 – (FR0004177046 METEX), METabolic EXplorer (METEX), an industrial biochemical company specialising in the development and industrial application of green and sustainable fermentation processes, announces that its subsidiary METEX NØØVISTA has selected the engineering company in charge of building the plant for the production of 1.3-propanediol (PDO) and butyric acid (BA) that will be installed on the chemicals platform of the Carling St-Avold site in Moselle.

Following the announcement of the closing of METEX NØØVISTA's financing with the SPI (“Société de Projets Industriels”) fund managed by Bpifrance, an EPCM (Engineering, Procurement and Construction Management) contract was signed with the DE SMET Engineers & Contractors (DSEC) Group, an internationally-renowned Belgian engineering firm specialised in the agroindustry field, particularly in the sugar, edible oils, biofuel and green chemicals sectors.

Within the framework of this contract, the DSEC Group will be in charge of project management for the first, 6-kt stage of the plant's construction. After the calls for tender, which will now be launched, the equipment suppliers and the companies in charge of work will be selected for an effective start to construction before 30 June 2019. The plant is set to be brought on line in the second half of 2020 and turnover from the first PDO and BA sales should be recorded in the Q4 2020.

Antoine Darbois, CEO of METEX NØØVISTA, said of this partnership: “De Smet Engineers & Contractors is internationally renowned for its expertise in the construction of agrochemical plants, but it was above all its demonstrated ability to carry out innovative projects while respecting budgetary and time constraints that determined our commitment.”

Marc d'Udekem, Chairman and CEO of DSEC, added: “The construction of the METEX green chemistry production plant in the heart of the Lorraine coalfield is a landmark project that will also emphasize the Group's positive image. We are pleased to provide our solid experience in the operation of bio-product plants and the integration of industrial equipment.”

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About METABOLIC EXPLORER – www.metabolic-explorer.com

A pioneer in industrial biochemistry with some 20 years of experience, METABOLIC EXPLORER (METEX) develops alternative solutions to the petrochemical processes used in manufacturing.

Using renewable raw materials, it develops innovative industrial fermentation processes to produce competitive chemical compounds used in basic products of everyday life such as animal feed and health additives, plastics, textiles, cosmetics, and resins, among many others.

The company's ambition with its biotechnological innovations is to produce consumer goods in a different way, without oil, in order to meet consumers' new societal expectations and the objectives of the energy transition and sustainable development.

To create these innovative processes, METABOLIC EXPLORER relies on a 70-person staff possessing the complementary competencies essential at every step of their development, from the optimisation of biochemical catalysts in the laboratory to the industrial validation and production of samples in an industrial demonstration unit in continuous operation.

Based at the Clermont Limagne technology park, near Clermont-Ferrand, METABOLIC EXPLORER is listed on Euronext in Paris (Compartment C, METEX) and is included in the CAC Small Index.

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About De Smet Engineers & Contractors - www.dsengineers.com/fr/

De Smet Engineers & Contractors (DSEC), with headquarters in Belgium, is a worldwide General Contractor in the Agro and Bio Industries. Its extended portfolio covers fields such as Sugar, Oils & Feed, Biofuels, Bio Based products and Fertilisers. The company provides clients with a broad range of services across 41 countries, from preliminary audits to full turnkey set-up.

De Smet Engineers & Contractors is part of the Moret Industries Group that carries out projects and supplies equipment to various Agro Industries worldwide.