By: ICN Bureau
Last updated : July 08, 2026 9:45 pm
The three-year partnership aims to accelerate the decarbonization of mobility by delivering ethanol produced through French agricultural supply chains
France is taking a major step toward cleaner road transport as three leading entities unite behind farm-to-fuel model.
Agricultural cooperative VIVESCIA, plant-based solutions leader Roquette, and energy distributor Siplec E.Leclerc have joined forces to create a fully integrated low-carbon ethanol supply chain — linking French farms, industrial production and fuel distribution for the first time.
The three-year partnership aims to accelerate the decarbonization of mobility by delivering ethanol produced through French agricultural supply chains and advanced low-carbon manufacturing processes.
The partners say the initiative could achieve greenhouse gas emission reductions of up to 100% compared with fossil fuel benchmarks, while strengthening French energy independence and rewarding farmers who adopt more sustainable practices.
The collaboration brings together every stage of the value chain: VIVESCIA farmers will supply wheat grown through the TRANSITIONS regenerative agriculture program; Roquette will transform the grain into ethanol at its Beinheim facility using low-carbon production technologies; and Siplec E.Leclerc will distribute the fuel through the E.Leclerc network.
“This partnership brings full coherence to our ethanol value chain. By combining French grains produced through regenerative agriculture with a highly decarbonized industrial asset, we demonstrate that a low-carbon French value chain—from field to fuel—is now a reality.
"It is a virtuous model that combines industrial performance, sovereignty and climate transition.” Xavier Galliot, Director of Sustainable Development & Stakeholder Engagement, Roquette.
The agreement marks the first time a grain cooperative, industrial producer and energy distributor have joined forces to build a low-carbon ethanol value chain at scale.
Through TRANSITIONS, launched in 2023, VIVESCIA supports farmers in adopting low-carbon and regenerative farming practices designed to improve soil health, strengthen biodiversity and reduce emissions. The program has already delivered more than €7.2 million in financial support to participating farmers over the past two years.
Roquette’s Beinheim production site combines biomass and geothermal energy with CO₂ capture technology to reduce the carbon footprint of ethanol production. By integrating low-carbon agricultural sourcing into its strategy, the company is advancing both customer expectations and its own climate commitments under the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
Siplec E.Leclerc, which pioneered ethanol integration into gasoline more than two decades ago, will incorporate this low-carbon ethanol across its fuel range, including SP95-E5, SP95-E10 and E85 Superethanol. The fuel will be distributed through the E.Leclerc network of 734 service stations.
"For more than twenty years, E.Leclerc has championed Superethanol in our service stations as a way to decarbonize road transport. Through this value-chain agreement led by Siplec E.Leclerc, we are providing all our partners with the long-term market prospects needed to accelerate the transformation of our regions.
"We are securing a low-carbon French supply source and ensuring that every liter sold at the pump is backed by tangible, measurable and rewarded agricultural practices. This is what a successful transition should look like: rewarding those who make it happen while remaining accessible to those who benefit from it.
"By 2035, together with Siplec, we will make the E.Leclerc network the leading provider of sustainable mobility solutions in France.” Michel-Édouard Leclerc, Chairman of the Strategic Committee of the E.Leclerc Movement.
The partners say the initiative demonstrates how domestic agriculture and industry can work together to reduce reliance on imported energy while supporting rural economies.
French ethanol production uses less than 1% of the country’s agricultural land, supports nearly 30,000 jobs and generates valuable co-products for animal feed, according to industry figures.
The entire value chain will operate under the 2BSvs sustainability standard, recognized by the European Commission for biofuels.
"With Siplec, a leading energy player, and Roquette, our long-standing TRANSITIONS partner, we are writing a new chapter. It is a collective source of pride for our cooperative group and its committed member farmers.
"As the first large-scale impact program in France and Europe, TRANSITIONS places innovation and cooperation at the heart of its momentum. By creating a virtuous ethanol value chain, this partnership once again demonstrates and reinforces what TRANSITIONS has stood for since its launch in 2023: a competitive, more resilient, low-carbon agriculture that benefits soils and biodiversity.
"This ambition is made possible through the collective efforts of every stakeholder across both food and biofuel value chains. It all starts together!” Christoph Büren, Chairman of the VIVESCIA Group.