Renewable and low-carbon gas production: Teréga helps a new sector to emerge

What do we mean by “renewable gases”?

“Renewable gases” is a generic term referring to gases likely to be produced without the need for fossil fuels. Renewable gases can be produced from biomass, which includes organic matter such as agricultural waste, forestry residues, intermediate energy crops, or even urban organic waste. The conversion of biomass into gas also has the advantage of providing an economic outlet for the farming community. 

Hydrogen is obtained from electrolysis of water, using electricity produced from renewable energy sources such as solar or wind, or from nuclear energy. This creates green hydrogen, a source of clean and renewable or low-carbon energy to meet the challenges of decarbonising industry or mobility. 

Biogas is produced from the breakdown of organic matter in an oxygen-free atmosphere. Landfill, waste water treatment plants and methanation plants are all common sources of biogas.

Finally, synthesis gases (syngas) can be produced from various renewable raw materials to replace fossil fuels.

Solar power, wind power, water power, waste recycling… Renewable gas production is a key lever in decarbonising human activities. It also has the advantage of contributing to energy independence in the territories.

Renewable gases: the developing Biomethane sector…

If you look at the 2022 Renewable Gases Overview, renewable gases could account for 20% of French gas consumption by 2030. The sector is rapidly expanding and taking shape!

So, according to the report entitled “The future of gas infrastructures in 2030 and 2050”, published in April 2023 by the Energy Regulation Commission (CRE), 149 new methanisation plants were brought into service in 2022. This means France has 514 operational plants, representing potential biomethane injection into the grid of 9 TWh/year. Connected sites have produced 7 TWh of renewable gas, which is 1.6% of consumption (430 TWh). That figure is higher than the target in the Long Term Energy Schedule (PPE), set at 6 TWh in 2023.

The improvement in renewable gas production capacity comes as different technologies are developed. By exploring these different routes, the sector should be able to produce 60 TWh of renewable methane in 2030, then 350 TWh by 2050. “Production volumes somewhere between 50 and 60 TWh mean that nearly 10% of the total gas market is being supplied with biomethane”, Antoine Charbonnier, Manager of Teréga’s Strategy and Innovation Division, points out.

The next target? To cover all needs by 2050.  

What are the different methods of renewable gas production?

Pyro-gasification, methanation, electrolysis of water etc. These different methods of producing renewable gases offer promising prospects for development, as they fit neatly into the move to reduce carbon emissions and transition to cleaner energy sources.

Pyro-gasification
Pyro-gasification is a thermal process that transforms organic matter such as biomass or waste into syngas, by heating it to temperatures of between 250 and 1500 °C in the presence of a small quantity of oxygen. This process transforms practically all the waste into gas, with the exception of a few solid residues. It is considered to be a 2nd generation biomethane production method, supplementing traditional methanisation.

Methanation
Methanation is a chemical process that converts hydrogen and carbon dioxide (CO₂) into methane (CH₄). Methanation is a key technology for storing surplus renewable energy and reducing CO₂ emissions. The development of better-performing catalysers, along with the introduction of efficient CO₂ capture mechanisms, are promising areas for research.

Electrolysis of water
Electrolysis of water is an electrochemical process that splits water (H2O) into hydrogen (H₂) and oxygen (O₂) in an electrolyser powered by a source of electricity. The water is placed between two electrodes: the anode, which releases the oxygen, and the cathode, which produces the hydrogen. This process is really taking off because of the growing demand for clean hydrogen for a variety of applications such as mobility, the chemical industry, and electricity generation.

Methanisation
Methanisation, which relies on the decomposition of organic matter into biogas (methane) is increasingly being used in organic waste management and small-scale energy production. Methanisation plants can be integrated into farms, industrial plants and waste water treatment plants to recycle organic waste.

Power-to-Gas
Power-to-Gas is a process that converts surplus electricity from wind and solar sources into hydrogen through the electrolysis of water. The electrical current is used to break the water down and release the hydrogen it contains. This process can be combined with methanation, where the hydrogen combines with carbon dioxide to produce synthetic methane.

Teréga: deeply involved in building the future…

Antoine Charbonnier says the facts speak for themselves: “Biomethane is one of the most promising avenues in responding to the challenge of producing renewable gases. Development in this segment is exponential.” Innovate, invent, support and help… Teréga’s challenge is a twofold one. “We must do all we can to ensure that renewable gases occupy an important place in the energy market in France. That will allow us to get the most out of the potential and skills our assets represent in a decarbonised world.” 

To achieve that, Teréga is taking action on two levels. Firstly, by being actively involved in the development of the Biomethane sector. “We support our customers’ methanisation unit connection projects, but we also lend our support to innovation programmes,” says Antoine Charbonnier. So Teréga SA supports projects run by actors in the sector who want to inject biomethane into the grid. “Our role in the energy system of tomorrow depends on our capacity to secure our supplies. It’s crucial that all the energy we transport is decarbonised.”   To date, 7 biomethane injection stations have been connected up to the Teréga network, and 8 more are being built. “By recycling all the biomass available in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Occitanie regions, we shall be able to export biomethane to other geographical areas by 2040/2045,” comments Antoine Charbonnier.

To achieve that, Teréga has adopted a proactive approach, including pragmatic innovations.

Solidia: initiatives to help the development of renewable gases

On top of the methanisation projects being supported by Teréga, particular attention is being paid to all the new 2nd and 3rd generation Biomethane production methods. “Teréga is working with INSA Toulouse in this field, and has opened up a technological platform known as Solidia, whose aim is to accommodate semi-industrial plants conducting research into the purification of biogas and the production of syngas. Solidia allows startups to test their technology before moving onto the industrial stage.” 

HySoW: catalysing innovation for green hydrogen

Hydrogen has incredible potential as an energy carrier to respond to the challenges of decarbonisation and energy sovereignty through the European Hydrogen Backbone.

The principle came out of the European Green Deal approved in 2020. The EU defined a roadmap to becoming carbon neutral by 2050. To meet the target of 10 million tonnes of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen produced nationally and 10 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen imported by 2030, it is essential that hydrogen transport and production infrastructures are developed.

At the heart of this ambition is the H2med corridor, which alone will allow Europe’s energy supplies to be secured by transporting around 10% of total hydrogen consumption predicted for Europe by 2030. The H2med project brings together five key partners: Enagàs (Spain), GRTgaz and Teréga (France), REN (Portugal) and OGE (Germany). The five players will actively cooperate to interconnect the different gas pipeline projects: CelZa, linking Portugal and Spain, and BarMar, Linking Spain and France. True to its strategy, Teréga has involved itself in the development of major innovative and ambitious infrastructures.

This is certainly the case with the HySoW project, a hydrogen transport and storage infrastructure in the South-West of France to provide a pooled logistics service, aimed at companies wishing to produce or consume hydrogen. “HySoW is 600 km of pipeline able to transport 16 TWh/year of decarbonised hydrogen across the entire South-West. We launched a Call for Expression of Interest (CEI) which helped demonstrate the relevance of the project, drawing on the support of a wider panel of partners and industrial concerns… HySoW will, in time, allow the interconnection of major industrial and mobility hubs, such as Bayonne, Lacq, Pau, but also Bordeaux and Toulouse, with an extension to Port-La-Nouvelle. It will also connect to the Franco-Spanish BarMar project, linking Barcelona to Marseille, with a view to bolstering security of supply to the entire European energy system through hydrogen storage.

Innovating, supporting, exploring, with the central desire to make an active contribution to decarbonising human activities… This is how Teréga is working with actors in the sector.