New biodiesel project up and running in France

French retail group Les Mousquetaires has opened what it claims is the first biodiesel from non-edible waste factory in the country.

The group, which also owns the second biggest fuel distribution in France, has gone into partnership with German biomass processors Saria Group and the €40 million ($54 million) Estener project is situated in an industrial area of Le Harve port.

Estener will use animal fat, which will come from both its own brand and other independent slaughterhouses, to create its end product and Mousquetaires director Christophe Bonno is confident the process will ‘produce 96 tonnes of biodiesel from 100 tonnes of feedstock’.

‘Our goal is to produce 75,000 tonnes of biodiesel a year,’ he was also quoted as saying.