The oil refining group Daudruy Van Cauwenberghe will start next week building a biodiesel plant in Dunkirk, one of three planned in the region.
DVC will create a subsidiary, Nord-Ester, to operate this plant, to be commissioned at the end of the year, which will produce 100.000 tons of biodiesel per year from animal fats. The investment is 25 million euros. Asked about the competition of Total and Diester Industry, which will also be established in the region, Mr. Daudruy said that "everyone will find his place. Quotas allocated by the government to producers cover the needs of the market.
Diester Industrie (Sofiprotéol group) is going to produce 250.000 t of biodiesel per year in a unit in Cappelle-la-Grande (North), using rapeseed and sunflower oils. The plant will begin its activity in 2008, and represents an investment of 40 million euros. As for Total, in accordance with a memorandum of understanding signed with the Finnish Neste Oil in July 2005, it is in "final phase of study" for the construction of a biodiesel unit in Mardyck (North), where it is already refining petrol.
This plant, whose date of entry into service is not known, would produce 200.000 tons per year from palm oil and animal fats. It could cost 200 million euros, according to the daily Les Echos, a figure that the group has not confirmed. The government wants to go from a production of 400.000 tons of biodiesel in 2005 to 2,3 million tons in 2008.
Source: http://www.pleinchamp.com/article/detai ... e&pub_id=2