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Total has signed a memorandum of understanding with
the Finnish oil company, Neste Oil, with the aim of jointly studying how
they might build a production plant for a new generation biodiesel
product, to further satisfy what Total sees as the growing needs of the
diesel market. According to Total, the unit would be based at one of its
refineries in Europe, and would begin production in 2008. Total also
claims to be the European leader in biofuels, which it has promoted in
France for more than ten years: specifically of biodiesel by
incorporating rapeseed methyl esters in its diesel fuels. The tie-up
with Neste Oil is in addition to Total's recent agreement with
Sofiproteol/Diester Industrie on the supply of rapeseed methyl esters.
The biodiesel proposed for the new production plant would be
manufactured using a wide range of vegetable oils and animal greases.
Total says that engine tests conducted by independent laboratories show
that there is a significant improvement in the performance of diesel
fuels containing the new generation biodiesel. It also confirms that
this product 'in association with fatty acid methyl esters, will
contribute to achieving 5.75 per cent of biofuels by 2010, which is the
recommendation of the European Directive 2003/30/EC. 
Major oil companies and independent lubricant
manufacturers who apply to blend and/or package the Chrysler Group's
advanced, synthetic automatic transmission fluid, ATF+4, will now be
licensed to do so. From 1 September 2005, the fluid will be available
for retail outlets to sell, and independent vehicle workshops to use in
Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge vehicles. At the same time, its predecessor,
ATF+3, will be phased out. The company is to issue ATF+4 licences to
approved blenders, who will be free to sell into the marketplace, and
will separately license re-branders who obtain their supplies from the
approved blenders. ATF+4 contains an additive package that was developed
in conjunction with Lubrizol. According to Chrysler, licensing is in
response to marketplace demands and evolving vehicle technology.
However, there are other considerations, including the extent to which
independent workshops are using transmission fluids that are neither
licensed nor specifically developed for Chrysler vehicles. ILMA has
given a qualified approval of Chrysler's decision, but wants to see how
satisfactorily it works in practice. Two years ago, ILMA, on behalf of
its members, filed a charge of unfair trade practices against Chrysler,
claiming that the company was not making the ATF+4 specification
available to independent suppliers.
