Axéréal, ENGIE Renewable Gas collaborate to develop biomethane projects of 500 GWh in France
With this biomethane program, ENGIE Renewable Gas's current total installed capacity of 1.2 TWh/year is expected to increase by nearly 50% with this program.
French grain cooperative Axéréal and agreed with biomethane player ENGIE Gaz Renouvelables for a five-year partnership to develop a methanization unit program in the Centre-Val de Loire region with an annual capacity of 500 GWh. Three initial biomethane projects are already in the pre-development phase.
The program, Axéréal said, aims to develop biomethane units adapted to local agricultural resources and the specific characteristics of each region. It will rely on the use of energy crops (intercrops for energy production), sown between two main crops, as well as the mobilization of waste and residues from grain farming activities.
Axéréal will contribute its agronomic expertise, its knowledge of the Centre-Val de Loire region, and its network of cooperative farmers. The cooperative will support its members in the production and utilization of cover crops, as well as in identifying available agricultural waste and residues from cereal farming activities, such as cereal by-products.
ENGIE Renewable Gas will be responsible for the development, design, financing, construction, and operation of the facilities, up to and including the injection of biomethane into the networks. ENGIE Renewable Gas’s current total installed capacity of 1.2 TWh/year is expected to increase by nearly 50% with this program.
Additional income for farmers.
Beyond renewable energy production, this partnership represents an opportunity for economic diversification for local farmers and the development of sustainable agronomic solutions within crop rotation. By supplying the future facilities with cover crops, waste, and residues from cereal production, cooperative farmers will be able to benefit from additional income.
“By producing local renewable energy from resources sourced within the region, we strengthen our energy sovereignty while providing farmers with additional and sustainable income. Alongside Axéréal, we aim to develop projects rooted in local communities, beneficial to farms, and making a tangible contribution to the decarbonization of our economy,” said Pierre Chambon, CEO of ENGIE Renewable Gas.
Thierry Blondel, CEO of Axéréal SCA, said, “Building on its ability to structure competitive and high-quality raw material supply chains, and its capacity to develop new agronomic solutions for farmers facing climate and economic challenges, Axéréal is combining its expertise with that of ENGIE Renewable Gas to demonstrate that it is possible to build a new generation of methanization projects, integrated into their local areas, creating value for farms, in line with our CultivUp Regenerative agricultural transition program and our SBTI decarbonization commitment.”
