Total selects Axens’ technology for new La Mède biorefinery in France

The Vegan technology of Axens has been selected by Total for its first borefinery to be located at La Mède, France, officials announced on Wednesday.

The plant will produce 500,000 tpy of high-quality paraffinic biodiesel, treating primarily used oils, as well as other renewable feedstocks. This technology was originally developed by IFP Energies nouvelles in the mid-2000, based upon an extensive research and development program.

Vegan technology fundamentally consists in hydroprocessing any kind/mixture of renewable lipids into ultra-clean iso-paraffins. The resulting high quality mixture of bio-paraffins exhibits a high cetane number, tunable cold-flow properties, contains virtually no sulfur neither aromatic compounds and is easily blended into regular diesel or jet fuel.

Vegan is based upon Axens’ large experience in conventional hydroprocessing technologies and catalysts with more than 200 units licensed in the world totaling around 10 million bpd of capacity, as well as a strong knowledge of lipidic feedstock processing. 

Axens has pioneered the first-generation biodiesel market in the 1990s, through Esterfip technologies, based on transesterification process and totaling 14 references.

Axens is providing Vegan technology license, basic engineering, catalysts, proprietary equipment and related services: training, unit start-up and follow-up.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.