TotalEnergies’ Cray Valley has signed an agreement to supply Continental with ISCC Plus-certified Cleartack and Ricon resins. The materials will be used to increase the share of renewable content in the tire maker’s value chain via a mass balance approach, with no compromise declared on safety and performance thanks to tailored tread formulation. The resins are produced at TotalEnergies’ site in Carling, France, using bio-feedstock that originates from vegetable oil or used cooking oil processed at the company’s biorefinery in La Mède, France. Deliveries will cover multiple Continental tire plants in Europe. According to Cray Valley, the arrangement aligns with its objective to develop lower-carbon solutions for high-value automotive applications, enabling customers to reduce the carbon footprint of finished products by incorporating renewable feedstock into their supply chains.
Products and certification
Cleartack is described as a pure monomer, low molecular weight tackifying resin used to adjust tack and compound balance in tire formulations. Ricon is a liquid polybutadiene resin that enhances tire performance. Both products are manufactured at Carling and supplied under ISCC Plus certification via a mass balance methodology, linking the input of renewable feedstock from La Mède to the certified output materials. Cray Valley will supply these resins to various Continental facilities in Europe as part of the new agreement.
Cray Valley statement
Thierry Lebriat, Global Head of Sales at Cray Valley, commented on the cooperation with Continental and the company’s broader sustainability targets. He stated: "The collaboration with Continental is the ideal example of a long-term and trustworthy partnership with a common target: achieving performance while accelerating the transition to more sustainable materials through innovative and reliable solutions. We are very proud to support our long-standing partner to reach its sustainability ambitions. Simultaneously, this agreement is part of our 2030 ambition to supply more than 30% of our total volume as sustainable resins."
