Eni follows Total´s lead and looks to biofuels as refinery demand slows

In France and Italy, Total and Eni are both looking towards biofuel as a way to reduce or eliminate layoffs brought on by the need to reduce oil refining capacity. Total is expected to announce the switch at its La Mede facility soon following its conversion of the Dunkirk facility to a 200,000 metric ton per year second generation biodiesel facility,  and last week Eni announced it will convert the Gela refinery in Sicily into its second hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO) biodiesel unit, outputting 750,000t/yr. Yet much of Europe´s biodiesel capacity has been mothballed due to lack of demand.