Location: FrancePartners: TotalEnergiesMain activities: Biofuel production plastic recyclingOther activities: Renewable hydrogen The Grandpuits platform is being converted into a zero-crude platform and will be operational mid 2025 Biofuel production and plastic waste recycling form the backbone of this project which is part of our ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 The Grandpuits-Gargenville site comprises the Grandpuits refinery (Seine-et-Marne) we announced our project to convert the refinery into a zero-crude platform with a total investment estimated at more than €500 million is based on the development of several future-oriented activities in the field of biomass renewable energies and the circular economy One of the main reasons behind the platform's conversion is to transform the Grandpuits refinery into a biorefinery With a processing capacity of 400,000 metric tons/year it will be commissioned mid 2025 to produce: The biorefinery will process more than 75% of waste and residues A partnership announced in September 2022 with SARIA will help secure feedstock supply (used cooking oils and animal fats) eligible to produce SAF The site will be the first biorefinery designed to maximize SAF production while making a major contribution to fulfilling European and French ambitions of decarbonizing the aviation industry The Gargenville site will play a crucial role in storing and routing SAF from Grandpuits to the Parisian airports and will continue providing a strategic petroleum products transit and storage service for the French government the Company entered into a partnership with Air Liquide in November 2022 in line with Air Liquide's plan to build a renewable and low-carbon hydrogen unit in Grandpuits in an innovative strategy promoting sustainable development and the circular economy: The biorefinery will also supply organic waste to the future Grandpuits biomethane production unit With an annual capacity of 80 gigawatt-hours (equivalent to the average annual demand of 16,000 people) it will prevent the emission of nearly 20,000 metric tons of CO2 every year We are building France's first advanced plastics recycling plant at the Grandpuits site with partner Plastic Energy (TotalEnergies 60% The plant will help us meet our objective of producing 1 million tons of circular polymers by 2030 This plant will be capable of converting 15,000 metric tons/year of plastic waste through the pyrolysis process which involves melting plastics to obtain pyrolysis oil This oil will then be used as feedstock for the production of polymers with identical properties to virgin polymers making them suitable for use in food-grade applications as a substitute for fossil-based loads we signed a commercial agreement with Paprec to secure the supply of plastic waste (flexible packaging and film waste) for the future plant we are helping bring greater structure to France's value chain for the advanced sorting of plastic waste The site will also include a mechanical recycling unit for plastic waste This unit will produce 30,000 tons a year of high value-added compounds containing up to 50% recycled plastic material targeting the high-performance packaging market in particular for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics The project also includes a technical center for customer support and product development in order to provide sufficient support for the commercialization of the new range of hybrid compounds Two photovoltaic solar power plants have been built at the platform together equivalent to the electricity consumption of 30,000 people: Commissioned late 2022, these power plants are helping increase the proportion of renewable electricity in France's energy mix. The power plants also include a battery-based ESS facility with a capacity of 43 MW This facility helps regulate the national grid by smoothing out peaks in production and consumption Discover our major biomass/biogas projects Total SA is ending crude oil processing activities at its 101,000-b/d Grandpuits refinery at Seine-et-Marne near Melun and operations at nearby Gargenville depot at Yvelines in northern France to convert the site into a zero-crude industrial platform by 2024 As part of an investment totaling more than €500 million the Grandpuits platform will focus on four new industrial activities including production of renewable diesel; production of bioplastics; plastics recycling; and operation of two photovoltaic solar power plants Alongside forming part of Total’s overall net-zero strategy to meet carbon neutrality the decision to cease oil refining at Grandpuits also comes in the wake of a several-month audit of the 260-km Ile-de-France pipeline (PLIF)—which carries crude feedstock from the Port of Le Havre to the refinery—following a February 2019 leak along the line that forced a nearly 6-month shutdown of the Grandpuits refinery As a result of the leak—which led to a 900-cu m spill of hydrocarbons that polluted just over 4 hectares of soil as well as waterways—PLIF’s maximum working pressure was reduced to ensure safe operations allowing the refinery to operate at only 70% of its capacity and threatening its long-term financial viability The recent audit found that the refinery’s normal operations could be restored only by replacing the PLIF at a cost of nearly €600 million prompting Total’s decision to end refining activities at Grandpuits and invest in an industrial transformation of the site to meet France’s plans for the energy transition up to 2040 “With the industrial repurposing of the Grandpuits refinery into a zero-crude platform focused on energies of the future connected with biomass and the circular economy Total is demonstrating its commitment to the energy transition and reaffirming its ambition to achieve carbon neutrality in Europe by 2050,” said Bernard Pinatel Of the 400 permanent employees working at the site 250 will be retained following the Grandpuits conversion and repurposing project with the remainder of workers offered early retirement or internal transfers within Total’s business so that no layoffs will occur Most recently, Total postponed restarting the Grandpuits refinery following a planned month-long maintenance shutdown in early March 2020 amid the country’s ongoing reduced demand for fuels caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (OGJ Online, Mar. 26, 2020) While Total confirmed the Grandpuits site would maintain unidentified “partial activity” during the prolonged shutdown period the operator did not indicate a specific timeframe for when it might resume operations at the refinery which supplies much of the greater Paris region with refined fuel products As part of the zero-crude industrial repurposing project at Grandpuits Total said it will build a new renewable diesel unit aimed at contributing to France’s roadmap for incorporating 2% of sustainable aviation fuel by 2025 and 5% by 2030 the new biorefinery will process 400,000 tonnes/year of primarily animal fats from Europe and used cooking oil—supplemented with other vegetable oils like rapeseed but excluding palm oil—primarily from local suppliers to produce the following: Production of biofuels—which reduce carbon emissions by at least 50% compared to their fossil equivalents—are one component of Total’s strategy to meet the challenge of carbon neutrality A second project involves construction of Europe’s first polylactic acid, or polylactide (PLA), manufacturing site. To be built by Total Corbion PLA BV—a 50-50 joint venture of Total and Corbion NV—the proposed €200-million plant—to be funded equally by Total and Corbion—will produce 100,000 tpy of PLA bioplastic from a feedstock of sugar by 2024 The Granpuits site-conversion project also includes construction of France’s first chemical recycling plant. To be developed by Total (60%) and partner Plastic Energy Ltd. (40%) the plant will use a pyrolysis melting process to convert plastic wastes into a liquid called TACOIL which will be used as feedstock for production of polymers with identical properties to virgin polymers suitable for use in food-grade applications The new recycling plant is intended to help meet Total’s objective of producing 30% of its polymers from recycled materials by 2030 Total’s wholly owned affiliate, Total Quadran SAS—which specializes in renewable energy development and production in France—also will build and operate two photovoltaic solar plants one with capacity of 28 MWp (at the Grandpuits site) and the other with capacity of 24 MWp (at the Gargenville site) Total said the two solar plants will contribute to the company’s goal of providing green electricity to all its industrial sites in Europe Robert Brelsford joined Oil & Gas Journal in October 2013 as downstream technology editor after 8 years as a crude oil price and news reporter on spot crude transactions at the US Gulf Coast, West Coast, Canadian, and Latin American markets. He holds a BA (2000) in English from Rice University and an MS (2003) in education and social policy from Northwestern University. STAUNTON – CenterStage! Staunton brings pianist Lise Keiter to the Lee High stage on Feb. 21. The show is free and open to the public and begins at 3 p.m. Keiter has performed throughout the U.S. and in Europe, and she is very active as a solo recitalist, collaborative artist and soloist with orchestra. Her latest European appearances include recitals with France’s "International Roussel Festival," as well as with the "Internationale Academie de Musique" in Gargenville, France. She has recently appeared as a concerto soloist with orchestras in Indiana, Virginia and North Carolina, and her latest solo and chamber music performance engagements have taken her across the U.S., including recent performances with the Heifetz Institute and with the Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival. Frequently in demand as a lecturer, adjudicator and masterclass clinician, Keiter is active in many organizations, including the Music Teachers National Association the College Music Society. She is committed to furthering the education of young musicians and also maintains a studio of high school students. Her students include numerous competition winners, and many have been accepted into prestigious music programs at colleges, conservatories and graduate programs across the U.S. and in Europe. Originally from Charleston, Illinois, she has a bachelor of music degree from the Oberlin Conservatory, where she received several top prizes, and she completed a master’s degree and the Doctorate of Music at Indiana University, where she also received the award for outstanding teaching. Her teachers have included Leonard Hokanson, Gyorgy Sebok, Robert McDonald, Emile Nauomoff and Evelyn Brancart. Where Robert E. Lee High School, 1200 N. Coalter St., Staunton Cost Free. Persons with tickets seated first; public admitted at 2:45 p.m. More info www.centerstagestaunton.org or (540) 885-3165 Thierry MambertiHeidelbergCement’s subsidiary Ciments Calcia presented the draft terms of its large-scale investment and reorganization program for several of its sites in France. The program is in line with HeidelbergCement’s strategy to create a sustainable low-carbon and high performance business throughout the company. “As part of our global business excellence initiative, we intend to further optimise effectiveness, processes and structures of our French sites,” says Dominik von Achten, chairman of the managing board of HeidelbergCement. “We want to considerably speed up the modernization of our plants in order to enhance our performance in France, while ensuring alignment with the goals of the Paris Agreement. This is why we focus our initiatives on the main CO2-emitting plants in France.”  The program includes investments of around €400 million ($531 million) at the Ciments Calcia plants, of which nearly €300 million are earmarked for the Airvault site alone. The company intends to adapt the organization at its French headquarters and at two of its production sites in France in the following way: The reorganization would result in the reduction of 162 jobs and creation of 20 new jobs.  HeidelbergCement is significantly pushing its climate goals. By 2025, the company aims to reduce specific net CO2 emissions to below 525 kg per ton of cementitious material. This figure corresponds to a reduction of 30% compared to 1990. To achieve this goal, the company has defined concrete measures for all plants worldwide. The investment and reorganization program in France will contribute to reaching this goal. Total’s sites and service stations are on the front line to guarantee mobility and safety for all In all the places where we put our expertise to good use we are ensuring business continuity while complying with the most stringent safety standards read how we’re managing health restrictions at our Morainvilliers and Gargenville sites in France Total is doing its part alongside the women and men working every day in all corners of the globe to fight the virus Total has made the necessary decisions to protect the health and safety of its staff and ensure business continuity safety is now more than ever the Group’s top priority That’s why Total is taking all steps to best meet its customers’ needs and at the same time keep its employees on the ground safe Total is mobilizing its resources to produce fuel while still protecting its staff and partners from the coronavirus which supplies local service stations and airports has implemented strict measures such as enforcing hygiene practices dividing the number of employees on site by three and switching to remote working The aim is to ensure that the facilities can continue operating without compromising on the safety and security of staff and infrastructure Total teams are on the front line to serve customers in optimal health conditions All employees now wear gloves and masks and wash their hands regularly with sanitizer gel An extensive hygiene plan has also been implemented with disinfecting of all equipment such as cash registers and plastic film installed over microphones we are encouraging our customers to comply strictly with social distancing measures and have made hand sanitizer gloves and masks available to them at the cash desk health and safety rules have been tightened both inside and outside the buildings to protect our employees and our customers Standing together with our stakeholders and working tirelessly by their side we are doing whatever we can to limit the spread of the virus Please Register or Sign in to view this content Quantum Commodity Intelligence is a premium paid subscription service for professionals in the oil Quantum Biofuels service subscribers have access to: Get in touch with us for subscription information on all Quantum platforms 2020 — Within the framework of its net zero strategy Total will convert its Grandpuits refinery (Seine-et-Marne) into a zero-crude platform following an investment totaling more than €500 million the platform will focus on four new industrial activities: crude oil refining at the platform will be discontinued in the first quarter of 2021 and storage of petroleum products will end in late 2023 Operations at service stations and airports in the Greater Paris region will not be affected: they will be supplied by the refineries at Donges— currently undergoing a €450 million modernization — and Normandy This decision to end its oil refining comes in the wake of an audit conducted over several months on the 260-kilometer Ile-de-France pipeline (PLIF) which carries crude oil from the Port of Le Havre to the Grandpuits refinery The refinery was forced to shut down for more than five months in 2019 when a leak appeared on the PLIF following an earlier leak near Le Havre in 2014 the PLIF’s maximum working pressure was reduced to ensure safe operation the refinery could operate at only 70% of its capacity threatening its long-term financial viability The audit found that normal operations at the refinery could be restored only by replacing the PLIF Given France’s plans for the energy transition up to 2040 Total has decided to end its oil refining at Grandpuits and embark on an industrial transformation of the site “With the industrial repurposing of the Grandpuits refinery into a zero-crude platform focused on energies of the future connected with biomass and the circular economy Total is demonstrating its commitment to the energy transition and reaffirming its ambition to achieve carbon neutrality in Europe by 2050,” says Bernard Pinatel President of Total Refining & Chemicals “Grandpuits will remain a major industrial site drawing on the know-how and expertise of its teams and our partner firms will be playing a key role as well.” A responsible industrial redeployment with no layoffs Total will carry out this industrial redeployment with no layoffs with early retirements and internal mobility within the Group’ sites providing each employee with an appropriate solution Of the 400 jobs at the Grandpuits platform and its associated Gargenville (Yvelines) depot today 250 will be maintained after the conversion 15 additional jobs will be created on the Grandpuits site in a packaging unit connected to the bioplastics unit the work projects generated by this industrial investment of more than €500 million will create up to 1,000 jobs over the three-year period for construction of the new units Total has also carried out a thorough review of the partner companies working on the platform which amount to the equivalent of 300 full-time jobs The Group is committed to supporting each partner company during the industrial repurposing of the site the Grandpuits platform will continue to prioritize its partner businesses which will represent the equivalent of 200 full-time jobs comply with all of its contractual commitments to its customers Total and the Ile-de-France region intend to launch a campaign to attract other industries to the property made available at the Grandpuits site and on industrial estates near the Grandpuits and Gargenville sites Three Innovative Industrial Projects Amounting to Investments of More Than €500 Million The Grandpuits facility will become a model zero-crude platform in France •   A bio-refinery: Total will construct a renewable diesel unit primarily producing for the aviation industry This initiative will contribute to France’s roadmap for deploying sustainable aviation fuel which calls for an incorporation target into aviation fuel of 2% by 2025 and 5% by 2030 will be able to process 400,000 tons per year The unit will process primarily animal fats from Europe and used cooking oil supplemented with other vegetable oils like rapeseed (but excluding palm oil) Biofuels that reduce carbon emissions by at least 50% compared to their fossil equivalents are one component of Total’s strategy for meeting the challenge of carbon neutrality •   A bioplastics plant: Total Corbion PLA a 50/50 joint venture between Total and Corbion will be constructing Europe’s first PLA manufacturing plant Entirely produced from sugar instead of oil PLA is a bioplastic that is biodegradable and recyclable The market for PLA is growing up to 15% annually particularly in the markets for film wrap and rigid packaging and in numerous industrial applications Partners since 2017 in the Total Corbion PLA 50/50 joint venture Total and Corbion successfully launched their first PLA plant in Thailand in 2018 and have decided to invest in a new European plant Promising annual production capacity of 100,000 tons this second plant will begin operations in 2024 making Total Corbion PLA the world’s biggest producer of PLA. •   A plastics recycling plant: Total will be constructing France’s first chemical recycling plant with Plastic Energy (Total 60% Based on a new innovative recycling technology this plant will convert plastic wastes into a liquid called TACOIL through a pyrolysis melting process This TACOIL will then be used as feedstock for the production of polymers with identical properties to virgin polymers they will be suitable for use in food-grade applications—a major criterion for food packaging businesses The new unit will help Total meet its objective of producing 30% of its polymers from recycled materials by 2030 Total will be building two photovoltaic solar plants one with capacity of 28 MWp (at the Grandpuits site) and the other with capacity of 24 MWp (at the Gargenville site) which will contribute to Total’s ambition to provide green electricity to all its industrial sites in Europe The plants will be built and operated by Total Quadran a wholly-owned Total affiliate that specializes in renewable energy development and production in France the project is subject to the process for notifying and consulting employee representatives Total is committed to pursuing meaningful dialogue with employee representative organizations and will be initiating discussions with those bodies in late September About TotalTotal is a broad energy company that produces and markets fuels Our 100,000 employees are committed to better energy that is more affordable cleaner and accessible to as many people as possible our ambition is to become the responsible energy major from which no legal consequences may be drawn directly or indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities has no liability for their acts or omissions “Total Group” and Group are sometimes used for convenience “us” and “our” may also be used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them.This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information