Catherine MacGregor regularly emphasizes that, "To achieve net-zero carbon while ensuring cost control for citizens and businesses, (…) we need to leverage all decarbonization levers." Renewable gases are precisely one such promising lever, offering the added benefit of bolstering regions’ energy sovereignty.
That's why ENGIE is committed to reaching 100% renewable gases in its energy mix by 2050, with a crucial milestone by 2030: to produce 10 TWh of biomethane in Europe and have a 4 GW hydrogen production capacity via electrolysis. The Group will be investing €3 billion to achieve this goal. The most recent action taken in meeting this objective was on September 21st, 2023, when ENGIE announced the acquisition of Ixora Energy Ltd, one of the leading biomethane producers in the UK. Its portfolio comprises of three new production units with a total of 160 GWh of biomethane per year. Through this acquisition, ENGIE is strengthening its project portfolio in a key market. By 2030, our global objective is to commercialize annually 30 TWh of biomethane and 30 TWh of renewable, low-carbon hydrogen or derivative products.
Enter GEMS: A Key Player in Biomethane
The GEMS entity (Global Energy Management & Sales) will play a pivotal role in achieving this ambitious goal. GEMS is responsible for procuring volumes of biomethane, whether produced by ENGIE or other stakeholders, and reselling them to clients. These clients “can be internal, such as Group-operated combined gas cycle power plants, or external, including chemists and other gas-intensive industrial players in our portfolio,” explains Aurélie Boscarolo-Fousse, Business Developer at GEMS. The structure already has notable clients in its portfolio. For instance, GEMS will deliver 3 TWh of biomethane annually over ten years to the chemical company Arkema.
On the hydrogen front, ENGIE has committed to producing 4 GW of hydrogen through electrolysis by 2030, with a significant portion earmarked for maritime and aviation transport.
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