Total S.A. (Paris; www.total.com) has selected Axens’ (Rueil-Malmaison, France; www.axens.net) process technology, Vegan, for its first biorefinery, to be located at La Mède (France). The plant will produce 500,000 metric tons per year (m.t./yr) 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-2000s, based upon an extensive research and development program. Vegan technology fundamentally involves the hydroprocessing any 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, according to Axens.
Axens is providing the Vegan technology license, basic engineering, catalysts, proprietary equipment and related services, including training, unit startup and followup.