Total is preparing to announce Thursday the conversion of its Grandpuits refinery, in Ile-de-France, we learned from union sources.
The elected to the central social and economic committee (CSEC) were warned on Tuesday of the addition of an item to the agenda of the CSEC of Thursday morning: the presentation of a "Galaxie project" for the reconversion of the Ile-de-France site. .
Total management, contacted by
Le Figaro
, declined to comment on this information.
The future of this refinery hinged on the viability of the Ile-de-France pipeline which supplies it with crude from the port of Le Havre.
A leak occurred on this infrastructure in February 2019. Since then, it had been closed and Total had launched an audit to assess whether it was profitable to repair it.
At the same time, the Grandpuits refinery was due to undergo a “big shutdown” next year for a complete overhaul and maintenance of the installations, an operation which occurs every seven years in the refineries.
Challenges in terms of employment
At the same CSEC, Thursday, the management planned to present the project for the creation of a new "business unit" (operational unit) bringing together the so-called "bio" activities (production of bioplastics, biofuels, etc.).
This suggests to the unions that the Grandpuits site could be converted into a bioplastic production site.
Problem, this change of activity would lead to job cuts.
The CGT estimates that 250 jobs would be threatened, even if a CO2 capture unit were created, as well as a photovoltaic electricity production site.
“No one loses their job at Total when there are industrial developments,” retorts a source familiar with the matter.
At Carling and La Mède, two sites where the refining activity was closed, there were no layoffs but retirements and internal mobility.
The CGT had previously launched an economic alert right, obliging management to give employee representatives information concerning the viability of the site.
Total operates four refineries in France (Donges, Gonfreville-Normandie, Feyzin and Grandpuits) as well as the La Mède biorefinery.
The French oil giant has launched a major shift towards renewable energies since the spring.
The group aims for carbon neutrality by 2050.