La Mède refinery

The La Mède refinery is a biorefinery that previously operated as a traditional fossil fuel refinery owned by TotalEnergies in Châteauneuf-les Martigues near Marseille, France, and on the Etang de Berre.[1][2] The plant includes about 250 hectares.[2]

The biorefinery has a capacity of 500,000 tones of biofuels (hydrotreated vegetable oil) a year.[3] The plant conversion, started in 2015, finished in 2019 with EUR 275 million of capital expenditure.[3] In 2021, the plant announced production of aviation biofuel made from cooking oil.[4][5]

A 2018 agreement with the French government capped the amount of palm oil production at the facility at 300 000 tonnes, while requiring at least 50 000 tonnes of French-grown rapeseed oil.[3]

Environmental activists have criticized the plant for its reliance on palm oil, which has a track record of global environmental destruction and human rights violations.[1][6] Local farmers represented by Fédération nationale des syndicats d'exploitants agricoles also expressed concerns about palm oil competing with local oil production.[7][8]

History

The plant entered operation in 1935 as a crude oil and petrochemical plant.[9] The plant stopped production of petroleum in 2016.[10][9]

In 1992 the plant had a gas explosion.[2]

References
  1. "Total palm oil refinery in Marseille, France". Environmental Justice Atlas. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  2. "Gas explosion in the cat cracking and gas plant units of a refinery" (PDF). French Ministry of Environment - DPPR / SEI / BARPI. 9 November 1992.
  3. "Total starts up La Mède Biorefinery". Bioenergy International. 2019-07-04. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  4. "Total produces sustainable aviation fuel in France". tradearabia.com. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  5. "TOT Starts Making Sustainable Aviation Fuel in France". www.rigzone.com. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  6. "Greenpeace blocks Total biorefinery that uses palm oil". France 24. 2019-10-29. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  7. Reuters Staff (2019-05-30). "Total to move ahead with using palm oil at biodiesel refinery". Reuters. Retrieved 2021-04-18. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  8. "Total's biodiesel refinery on-track despite palm oil controversy | Biofuels International Magazine". biofuels-news.com. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  9. "La Mede Biorefinery, Marseille, Châteauneuf-les-Martigues, France". Retrieved 2021-04-18.
  10. "Total La Mede crude refining to cease: Update 3". www.argusmedia.com. 2015-04-16. Retrieved 2021-04-18.


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