Total delays opening of La Mede biofuel plant until Q1 2019

In France, Reuters reports that Total has decided to delay the start up of its $227 million La Mede biofuel refinery revamp until Q1 2019. The 500,000 metric ton per day facility was meant to start up over the summer but the company’s CFO didn’t say what the reasons were for the delay when the announcement was made on an investor’s call last week. The facility has been at the center of a giant controversy about the sustainability of importing palm oil for feedstock pitted against French farmers who demanded the company by feedstock from them.