16 April 2015
DETAILS
In order to sustainably restore
the competitiveness of its La Mède site,
Total will transform some existing units for
activities with strong future prospects.
The Group will also maintain
certain petroleum product refining operations,
but halt processing of crude oil, which is reporting heavy losses,
at end-2016.
Meeting Growing Demand for Biofuels
The site’s flagship operation will be a world-class,
500,000-ton-per-year biorefinery
that will manufacture biodiesel primarily
from used oils, as well as renewable feedstock.
The hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) process selected by Total
is a French technology developed by
Axens that produces high-quality biodiesel
that is easily blended into regular diesel in any proportion,
with no adverse impact on fuel quality or engines.
A European Union directive sets a target of 10% renewables
in transportation in 2020.
In France, the draft bill on the energy transition
toward green growth calls for increasing
the share of biofuels to 15% in 2030 from 7.7% today.
La Mède’s forward-looking transformation reflects
Total’s determination to play an active role
in the development of renewable energies,
especially biomass, which will be needed to partner fossil fuels
to ensure that energy demand is met while
at the same time mitigating carbon dioxide emissions.
WWW.CHEMWINFO.COM BY KHUN PHICHAI
