French integrated oil and gas company Total has announced the start of production at the La Mède biorefinery in south-eastern France.
The La Mède biorefinery project, which was developed with a capital expenditure of EUR275 million (US$310.6 million), involved conversion of a former oil refinery into a new energy complex.
The remodelled La Mède complex encompasses a biorefinery with 500,000 tonnes of biofuel per year capacity, and an 8 MW solar farm capable of supplying power to 13,000 people.
The La Mède biorefinery has been designed to produce both biodiesel and biojet fuel for the aviation industry. Equipped to process all types of oil, the biofuels produced by the refinery include 60 to 70% from 100% sustainable vegetable oils and 30 to 40% from treated waste.
The project is coupled with a plan for continuous improvement of the facility’s energy efficiency, with the aim of reducing energy consumption by 8% by 2020.
