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PARTNERSHIP

ENGIE and farmers join forces to develop the biomethane sector in France

By ENGIE - 26 February 2019 - 12:00

Three partnerships were signed at this year's Paris International Agricultural Show between ENGIE and the FNSEA, the FNCUMA and the INRA, and a Call for Expressions of Interest with the Hauts-de-France region was presented. The goal is to promote the development of biomethane, an energy of the future and a fully-fledged opportunity for farmers to diversify their income. 

 

The following partnerships were signed in the presence of François de Rugy, Minister of State, minister of Ecological and Solidary Transition and Didier Guillaume, Minister for Food and Agriculture, Isabelle Kocher, ENGIE’s CEO, Christiane Lambert, president of the FNSEA (National Federation of Farmers' Unions), Luc Vermeulen, president of the FNCUMA (National Federation of Cooperatives of Use of Agricultural Equipment) and Philippe Mauguin, president of the INRA (The National Institute of Agricultural Research) :

 

  • The partnership between ENGIE and the FNSEA designed to implement common-interest initiatives for promoting the advantages of biomethane and other renewable energies (wind power, photovoltaic, etc.) for the agricultural sector. Within the framework of this partnership, a number of educational tools (communications kit, joint conferences, open days, etc.) will be developed and joint analyses conducted for the various sectors.
  • The partnership between ENGIE and the FNCUMA will promote the whole sector and encourage the development of methanisation and familiarise people with it. The purpose of these initiatives is to speed up the emergence of methanisation projects with farmers.
  • A framework partnership agreement between ENGIE and the INRA to encourage development of the biomethane sector. The partners will work on several research projects, including: the availability and identification of the best pools of biomass, the creation of economic and environmental value for the biomethane sector and its positive externalities.

 

Isabelle Kocher, ENGIE’s CEO said: "I am delighted to be here at the Paris International Agricultural Show to promote biomethane, a key energy in France's future energy mix. We are planning to invest €800 million with our partners in these biomethane projects over the next five years in order to develop green gases in France. For ENGIE, this alliance with the agricultural sector is of strategic importance. Our vision is of a completely French biomethane sector, developed locally right in the heart of regions, by and for farmers".

 

Xavier Bertrand, President of the Hauts-de-France region and Didier Holleaux – ENGIE’s deputy CEO – presented a Call for Expressions of Interest in order to develop methanisation projects in the Hauts-de-France region.

 

  • Between ten and fifteen winners will be selected as part of the call for projects to help them in their development phase and enable them to get to the final investment decision. €2 million worth of funding will be made available.

 

ENGIE operates along the entire value chain, from project development right up to sale to end customers and has undertaken aims to produce 5 TWh/year of biomethane in France by 2030. The Group's aim is to industrialise the sector so as to reduce costs by around 30% by 2030, and establish a place for itself in the energy mix.