Each day, thousands of liters of frying oil are thrown after crackling in European kitchens. Long treated like simple waste, these used oils today take on a completely different value. In France, they are now entering the production circuits of biraffineries, transformed into biofuel for aviation. Behind this discreet mutation, an industrial movement accelerates, carried by the need to fly planes without weighing down the carbon bill.
In a logic of circular economy, this partnership makes it possible to enhance waste often little exploited. Used frying oil, usually intended for destruction or heavy treatment, thus enters a new energy production chain. This strategic choice is part of a desire to reduce dependence on fossil fuels while recycling matters available in abundance.
What are the French Bioraffineries really?
To transform these used oils into biofuel for aviation, Totalnergies relies on two fully redesigned industrial sites. The Mède refinery, in the Bouches-du-Rhône, was converted in 2019 to biraffinery, with an annual capacity of 500,000 tonnes. It is currently producing biodiesel for land transport and will begin this year to deliver sustainable fuel for aviation for airports in the south of France.
At large, in Seine-et-Marne, another unit is being finalized. It should enter service in 2026 and add 230,000 tonnes of additional capacity. As BFMTV recalls, these installations represent one of the pillars of the Low Carbon Totalnergies strategy, with a strong emphasis on the diversification of supplies and the securing of primary resources.
The method used in these sites includes “co-processing”, which consists in mixing a bio-based load with traditional fossil products. This hybridization thus allows a more flexible transition without imposing a sudden rupture in logistics chains or existing infrastructure.
The aviation biofuel requires a new industrial rate
The rise of sustainable fuel for aviation is not a simple announcement effect. Indeed, since 2025 Kerosene suppliers operating in the European Union must include a minimum of 2% of durable fuel in their mixtures. This share will reach 6% in 2030, then 70% by 2050, in accordance with the commitments made for carbon neutrality. This obligation is therefore directly imposed on totalnergies, which must adapt its production and secure its resources accordingly, as explains Maritima.
Currently, air transport represents between 2.5 and 3% of global CO2 emissions. The development of SAF, or sustainable aviation fuels, could significantly reduce this imprint, provided that the volumes produced the demand. However, Totalenergies aims to reach a production of 500,000 tonnes of SAF from 2028, on a European market estimated at 4 million tonnes.
But this pace of production is still insufficient to fill the gap with the climatic objectives. Airlines, faced with high SAF prices, regularly underline the lack of availability on the market. To meet this growing demand, Totalenergies will not only have to accelerate its processes but also multiply logistics partnerships like the one signed with Quatra.
