Aux Biomass, Citoyens! France’s Bid for Net Zero and the Biotechnology Imperative

September 14, 2022

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by Jim Lane (Biofuels Digest) ... Toulouse remains a busy center for biotechnology, in the south, and the rise of sustainable aviation fuels is not hurt one little bit from the proximity there of Airbus.

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We reported in July that Neste, MAN and Altens signed a partnership contract aimed at promoting biofuels in France. France is a strong market for biodiesel and FAME, but many OEMs would like to see more renewable diesel, also known as HVO100, on the market.

The objective of this partnership is to promote the common vision of Neste, MAN and Altens of the crucial role that biofuels can and must play in the sustainability transformation of the transportation of goods and people.

In March, we noted reports that that drivers are rushing to buy ethanol conversion kits in the face of rising gas prices and cheap ethanol. FlexFuel Energy Development that sells the conversion kits, for example, saw sales jump 80% in the first three weeks of March to 6,400 versus February while January sales were just 2,166, while other kit manufacturers are said to be reporting similar increases in demand. E85 is currently selling for just over a dollar per liter compared to $2.20 per liter of E10.

Late last year we highlighted France’s first carbon-negative building construction with this story oin hempcrete. And we published this review of France’s national Hydrogen strategy As a bonus, we highlighted the amazing suite of technologies from Axens and the folk at IFP, right here. Meanwhile, French Formula 4 racing teams are switching to biofuels, more on that here.And here’s news of moves on the cognac side to adopt flax bottling.

Wait there, more, ore on on hydrogen that is, and here, a project coming from DOMO Chemicals and Hynamics. Plus, an EU-wide bonus, let’s shine a light on policy initiatives such as ReFuelEU, with the European Parliament voting in support of draft rules to require SAF to account for at least 85 percent of European Union (EU) aviation fuel by 2050.

A Port-based strategy, where is it?

One thing you’d look around and not see in much evidence is the kind of activity at airports and marine ports — as a hub for bioeconomy projects.

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As Raizen CEO Ricardo Mussa put it to us, “in the end, the strategic advantage is biomass, and only biomass” — we’d amend that to mention the value of a local market that keeps that biomass so close to its origin that the emissions in production are next to nothing and make biomass the go-to partner to offset the small but undeniable carbon footprint of wind and solar.

Technology? The French have is in spades. READ MORE