Total ready to start-up its HVO biorefinery in La Mède

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Type of post: NEWS IN BRIEF.

After several delays, the HVO biorefinery of Total in La Mède will begin production in the following days, according to Reuters.
Reuters news: “Total to move ahead with using palm oil at biodiesel refinery”, 29/5/2019.
Related post: “Total selects Axens technology for its biorefinery in La Mède”, 23/10/2015.

Figure 1. Total refining complex in La Mède

The project began in 2015, with a planned start-up date of summer 2018. However, last summer, it sparked opposition from farmers producing vegetable oil and from environmental activists. The first ones expressed concern about palm oil competing with locally produced vegetable oil whereas the second ones cited the deforestation caused in producing it. Partly, the controversy stirred up by erroneous reports that crude palm oil could account for as much as 450,000 tons a year (nearly 70%) of the site’s feedstock.

The company was forced to spell out in more detail the supply plan. The biorefinery will have a processing capacity of 650,000 tons per year and it is authorized to use up to 450,000 tons of raw vegetable oil for its feedstock supply. The mix will consist of 60 to 70% raw vegetable oil from sources as diverse as rapeseed, sunflower, soybean, palm, corn and carinata. The facility will also process 30 to 40% animal fat, used cooking oil and other residues. That share is expected to grow over the years based on the availability of such alternative resources. And, also, Total pledged to restrict crude palm oil to less than half of the feedstock that will be processed on site (no more than 300,000 tons per year).

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