All the countries involved in the energy transition have the year 2050 in their sights, with a myriad of intentions, more or less ambitious. But before reaching the middle of the 21st century, a first crucial stage is fast approaching: 2030. A more symbolic year for France, and especially for the government of Elisabeth Borne, through its multi-sector investment plan . With this in mind, the General Secretariat for Ecological Planning (SGPE) unveiled, on Monday July 24, new quantified objectives as part of the strategy which aims to put France on the track of decarbonization in the next seven years.
Among them, the accelerated development of biogas, a renewable energy obtained from the fermentation of organic matter: the executive wishes to multiply by more than six its production to reach 50 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2030. To give an order of magnitude, the French consume approximately 450 TWh of gas each year, the vast majority of which (98%) is imported. The rest – 2% – is provided by the production of renewable gas on French territory.
Not ambitious enough
For producers, the figure revealed by the SGPE is clearly achievable. It is even considered not ambitious enough. “Not only is the sector capable of it, but it can do better, because the objectives are lower than those that the sector considers possible”, assures Jules Nyssen, the president of the Renewable Energies Syndicate. At the beginning of January, France Gaz, the professional organization of the French gas industry, announced new claims for the future: it is now aiming for a target of 20% renewable gas of total consumption in 2030, against 10% until here. “We are campaigning for its inclusion in the law. Despite the slowdown that we have observed in recent months for economic and regulatory reasons, we have enormous potential. By adding up all the production sectors, we can very reasonably achieve the stated objectives. and even go further”, promises Max-Erwann Gastineau, director of public affairs and pilot of the renewable and low carbon gas commission at France Gaz.
It must be said that the good news is linked lately. On June 13, the government issued a decree to increase the price of biogas by “about 12%”. A long-standing demand, while the explosion in the energy bill of producers, due to the war in Ukraine, became difficult to bear, electricity being an essential link in the chain. Another bright spot for the sector: the price will now be indexed twice a year, against only once before. “A real slowdown in new projects took place from the end of 2020. The level of the biomethane purchase price was a brake and the project leaders lacked visibility in terms of support”, recalls Max-Erwann Gastineau.
Another measure should encourage biogas producers: the biogas production certificate (CPB). This system aims to impose on gas suppliers a certain level of biogas in their service offer. “The texts are currently being discussed and must pass to the Council of State. We can think that their publication will take place by the end of the year. On the other hand, all will not necessarily come into force at the same time and the first will be put in place within three years”, specifies the office of the Minister for Energy Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher.
100% renewable gas by 2050
The stakes are high. “If we put the means into it, France has the greatest potential for the production of renewable gas. It is a priority energy, it is absolutely necessary that we manage to develop this major asset, which will give us a competitive advantage in the future. ‘export”, says Mathieu Lefebvre, co-founder of the company Waga Energy, which transforms landfill waste into biomethane. The State aims to switch to 100% renewable gas produced on its soil by 2050. “We will have to divide our gas consumption by three. Developing biogas and reducing consumption are two actions that must be carried out simultaneously”, indicates the cabinet of Agnès Pannier-Runacher. “France is not a producer of fossil hydrocarbons. We are a major agricultural country, so we have no reason not to produce local renewable gas,” said Alexandre Joly, head of the energy division of the consulting firm. Carbone 4. And biogas has many advantages: “It’s 80% less greenhouse gas than fossil gas and money that we put into local jobs”. Because a good part of the biogas produced in France comes from farmers. The anaerobic digestion technique, the most mature sector, leads the way in France. There are more than 1,400 sites in the territory, 47% of which are owned by farmers.
But as production increases, the profile of producers will change. “There is a very good dynamic. The first wave was carried by pioneer farmers on a very entrepreneurial model. The model is changing: future project leaders will probably need to group together and rely on farmers or experienced developers to carry out their operations,” said Xavier Passemard, biomethane director at GRDF. The public company, which is not authorized to invest in projects, nevertheless has the possibility of promoting the development of the sector. “There are still many things to change to increase productivity, further reduce environmental impacts and strengthen the sustainability of local agriculture.”
Still, all is not rosy in this booming sector. With the revaluation of tariffs and the future biogas production certificate, the number of new projects is certainly on the way to rising again. But they face a sling at the local level, some inhabitants of rural areas not seeing a good eye the arrival of a factory near their home. “We see the same type of structuring as for wind power. We see that things are building up on a local scale”, explains Alexandre Joly. As for solar or wind power, education will be the key. “Any new operation raises questions, recognizes Xavier Passemard. There is a lot of work to be done by the project leaders to explain what it means, to ensure that the stakeholders in the territories form an idea and are convinced the merits of the transaction.”