France gives go-ahead to the use of palm oil for the production of biofuels

Further information:

While the European Parliament has decided to ban palm oil imports by 2021, the French government has given the go-ahead to biorefinery owned by Total. Total’s biorefinery will produce advanced biofuels with hydrotreated vegetable oils (HVO) technology, which can work with any type of oil. However, recycling oils and particularly collecting them is more expensive than palm oil, whose yield is higher.

Total has also committed itself to reduce the amount of palm oil used. France’s environment ministry said it had asked the French oil major company to limit the use of straight vegetable oil, notably palm oil, in its La Mede biofuel refinery to 75 percent of its supplies.

EurActiv, 18.05.18: France gives green light to palm oil despite European Parliament’s ban https://www.euractiv.com/section/agriculture-food/news/france-gives-green-light-to-palm-oil-despite-european-parliaments-ban/

Reuters, 16.05.18: France to limit palm oil use at Total's La Mede biofuel refinery https://af.reuters.com/article/energyOilNews/idAFL5N1SN46O

Reuters, 16.05.18: France allows Total's La Mede refinery to partly run on palm oil https://af.reuters.com/article/commoditiesNews/idAFL5N1SN4EG

---