TotalEnergies (EPA: TTEF ) (Paris: TTE ) (LSE: TTE ) (NYSE: TTE ) has announced the commissioning of its eighth biomethane production facility in France, named BioNorrois, located in Fontaine-le-Dun, Normandy. The new unit is expected to produce 153 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of biomethane annually, which will be injected into the natural gas transport network managed by GRTgaz. This output is enough to meet the average annual gas consumption of over 30,000 residents.
Cristal Union, a French sugar group and a 10% stakeholder in the project, will supply the facility with beet pulp and residues from its nearby production site. These agricultural by-products will make up to 80% of the 185,000 tons of organic materials processed annually by BioNorrois.
In addition to biomethane production, the facility will generate 150,000 tons of natural fertilizer each year. This fertilizer will be utilized by Cristal Union, the Norman cooperative NatUp, and partner farms, replacing more than 5,500 tons of chemical fertilizers annually and preventing the emission of 30,000 tons of CO2.
The development of BioNorrois follows extensive consultations with local stakeholders, including over 130 farmers, agri-food industries, and local authorities. Karine Boissy-Rousseau, Vice President of Green Gases at TotalEnergies, emphasized the significance of the new unit, which is comparable in scale to BioBéarn, the company’s largest biomethane production site in France. She highlighted TotalEnergies’ dedication to promoting the circular economy, advancing renewable energy production, and reducing the carbon footprint of France’s energy mix.
Xavier Astolfi, General Manager of Cristal Union, underscored the project’s role in the company’s ongoing efforts to decarbonize its operations and effectively utilize production residues.
With the launch of BioNorrois, TotalEnergies now boasts over 800 GWh of biogas production capacity in France. The company is also expanding its presence in Europe and the United States, aiming to achieve a gross biomethane production capacity of 10 terawatt-hours equivalent per year by 2030. This target would meet the average annual energy needs of 1.6 million people and reduce CO2 emissions by 1.6 million tons annually.
The BioNorrois facility represents a significant step forward in TotalEnergies’ commitment to sustainable energy solutions and its contribution to a greener future.
