Page 117 - Book_Artelia_10years

Conversion
of a refinery in La Mède into a biorefinery

(France)

Thanks to the joint efforts of four of our French branch offices, including Martigues near the
site at La Mède, we were able to mobilise 80 people and start the works in record time. Rather
than proceeding with each of the major stages of design and construction, we defined what
The European Union has decided was most urgent with our client and then broke the operation down into projects that could be
to promote the use of biofuels, in implemented in succession. This highly flexible way of working, which could be adopted thanks
particular as an additive to petrol to our presence on site and the use of local contractors, enabled us to keep to the very tight
and diesel. As a player in this schedule set by our client.
movement aimed at promoting
eco-fuels while limiting imports, The operation involved rationalising the production infrastructure at this huge industrial site in
the Total Group has decided order to adapt it as closely as possible to its future use as a biorefinery and thereby optimise
to produce them in France by maintenance costs. We worked very closely with the client in order to draw up a new master
converting its refinery at La plan by conducting a detailed technical and economic analysis of what should be kept, renovated
Mède, near Marseille. This type or replaced. This ability to reuse what the client already possesses is one of our strengths. It
of revamping operation is one of enables us to reduce investment costs drastically.
our fields of excellence. For example, we set up a new steam production facility by retaining one of the four existing
boilers, building a new, latest-generation unit, and dismantling the two oldest ones. We
proceeded to do the same thing with all the fluid networks, by closing some of them, with
the electricity network, by keeping only one control room, with the logistics facilities, and by
dismantling some storage units to make space for a solar farm. Safety, impact reduction and
the reliability of effluent treatment were central concerns.

The operation was carried out successfully in a real spirit of effective partnership with the Total
teams, who in fact extended the scope of our assignment as the project progressed.

Franck Canuet
© Dire l'Entreprise Director, Large Industrial Projects | Industrial Facilities

114 I ARTELIA, 10 YEARS OF EXISTENCE, 100 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE ARTELIA, 10 YEARS OF EXISTENCE, 100 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE I 115