Saipol, a subsidiary of the Avril group, accelerates implementation of its strategic plan

Since 2015, SAIPOL has been facing several negative external factors that severely hamper its competitiveness: competition from palm oil and soybean biodiesel, the low structural valuation of first generation biodiesel, the rise in imports of products from Latin America, the aggressive trading of the major global players that are driving prices down and the gradual evolution of the European vehicle fleet towards non-diesel alternatives. As a result of these factors, SAIPOL accumulated losses of €133 million between 2015 and 2018. This trend, although slowing down, continued in 2019.

The company is accelerating its development towards new ambitious growth drivers to make a strong contribution to French and European energy and food transition with :

• The continuing launch of the 100% renewable fuel offer OLEO 100 and the development of the “high sustainability biofuels” offer to contribute to a greater reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
• Preservation of profitable volumes of rapeseed biofuels for cold weather, particularly during the winter period, while adapting production volumes of the first generation commodity biodiesel to respond to the evolving car fleet.
• Continued development of sales of refined oils “of French origin” to the European food industry and to oil groups for co-refining, in order to offer SAIPOL a wider and value-creating market for its oils.
• Accelerated marketing of food ingredients such as vegetable protein, refined vegetable oils or sunflower or rapeseed lecithin.

The SAIPOL 2023 strategic plan is based on the close relationship between the company and the French oilseed sector. The company will thus refocus on the supply of seeds from “French farms”, in order to protect the markets of French farmers and promote the development of premium productions, rich in proteins and with a high environmental value within territories.

The diversification of SAIPOL’s activity is accompanied by the necessary adaptation of production volumes of first-generation commodity biodiesel. Thus, SAIPOL plans to concentrate its industrial activity on four factories located in the heart of French agricultural production areas and commercial markets. The Bassens, Grand-Couronne, Lezoux and Le Mériot sites will be progressively specialised, via an investment programme, to produce higher added value sustainable solutions at the heart of the strategic plan.

At the same time, SAIPOL is looking for a sustainable solution for the Sète and Montoir-de-Bretagne sites with the aim of identifying, in 2020, opportunities for partnership or disposal to preserve jobs and industrial activity. Regular information will be provided to the teams on the progress of the search for solutions.