Turning to renewable energies is, more than ever, an environmental emergency. Among all these new green energies that are emerging, we are talking in particular about biomethane.
Greenwatt takes stock for you on the composition of biomethane, its different uses and its future development
What is biomethane?
We also talk about green gas or bio gas. But what exactly is biomethane?
Biomethane definition
It is a 100% renewable gas . To produce biomethane, you must use the methanization process, also called “anaerobic fermentation”, since the process takes place in an oxygen-free environment.
Various waste, such as livestock effluent or green waste, is stored in a large tank: the methanizer or digester. Very specific bacteria have previously been introduced into this tank; in this way, the waste ferments and ends up, after a few weeks, transforming into two distinct elements:
- Biogas, which mainly contains methane
- Digestate, a kind of residual compost
To make biomethane fuel, the biogas obtained during methanization must be purified.
Biomethane benefits
Biomethane is a source of energy that continues to make headlines! It makes it possible to:
- Consume renewable energy
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Recovering our waste
- Produce organic fertilizer
- Create new jobs
Proof that with a little cleverness, we can produce energy in sometimes very surprising ways!
This method of waste management is likely to develop significantly in the years to come, in particular under the effect of article L541-21-1 of the Environmental Code, which provides that by 2025 “ all professionals producing or holding waste composed mainly of bio-waste” will be required “to implement sorting at source and biological recovery”.
Source: legifrance.gouv
We also note that the methanization process is also developing in the public sphere: more and more individuals are investing in their own domestic methanization unit .
Biomethane uses
Biomethane can be used in many ways, for example for:
- Producing heat in a boiler
- Run all kinds of vehicles
- Be used as a replacement for town gas, to power a gas cooker for example
For more information about biomethane, read our file on how biogas works .
Biomethane figures in 2017, 2018 and 2019
Renewable energies are becoming more and more important in France and have grown considerably in the space of around thirty years. Of course, there is still a long way to go.
Share of renewable energies in 2018 in France
We note that biogas represented 2.9% of French renewable energies in 2018 , or 0.2% more than solar! A rather surprising observation since photovoltaic panels seem to be more highlighted in the media
At the end of 2017, 44 sites were injecting biomethane into the gas network, while there were 76 in 2018 and 88 in March 2019 : the biomethane sector is therefore experiencing extremely rapid growth, revealing a real need!
The injection of biomethane into the network has only been authorized since 2011 and has seen increasing popularity each year: 215 GWh in 2016, 406 GWh in 2017 and 714 GWh in 2018. The quantity of biomethane injected into the network also increased by 76% in the first quarter of 2019 (252 GWh) compared to the first quarter of 2018 (143 GWh).
Source: statistics.developpement-durable.gouv.fr
This positive development is partly explained by two measures adopted in 2017: the reduction in the price of connection to the distribution network and the opening of underground biomethane storage facilities.
What future for biomethane?
According to an ADEME-GRDF study , each kWh of green gas produced, injected and consumed would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 188 g of CO 2 , compared to natural gas.
The study estimates that by 2020, the injection of biomethane will represent 4 TWh (around 1% of forecast gas consumption), which would reduce annual CO 2 production in France by 750,000 tonnes.
Note, however, that this study dates from 2015, and that many objectives have had to be revised downwards since then.
Share of renewable gas in total gas consumption
According to article L. 100-4 of the law of August 17, 2015 relating to the energy transition for green growth, France's objectives are to “ increase the share of renewable energies to 23% of gross final consumption of energy in 2020 and 32% of this consumption in 2030; on this date, to achieve this objective, renewable energies must represent 40% of electricity production, 38% of final heat consumption, 15% of final fuel consumption and 10% of gas consumption . .
Source: legifrance.gouv
However, according to this article in Le Figaro , biomethane currently represents “less than 1% of consumption”. The objective would therefore have been to multiply by 10, in around ten years, the share of use of renewable gas in France.
An objective which was finally revised downwards in the multi-annual energy programming of January 2019 according to Le Monde , and which is now 7% . A report from the CRE (Energy Regulatory Commission) judged that 10% was too “ambitious” a figure, which would have led to multiplying annual biomethane production “by a factor of 30”.
In short, by 2030, the share of renewable gas consumption should represent 7% of French gas consumption.
Biomethane production capacity in France
We also note that the decree of April 24, 2016 relating to the development objectives of renewable energies provided for an objective, in terms of overall production capacity of biomethane to be injected into the network, of 1.7 TWh (1,700 GWh) for the year 2018 . The capacity actually achieved in 2018 was 1.2 TWh, a result 28% lower than the objective set.
Be careful not to confuse production capacity with the quantity of biomethane actually injected into the network.
This same decree sets a target for 2023 of 8 TWh (8,000 GWh) of overall biomethane production capacity to be injected into the network, which would involve multiplying the current capacity almost by 7, in just 4 or 5 years: a real challenge, which is also an ecological issue!
But you should know that many projects are in the queue each year regarding the production of biomethane and that their number continues to grow: there were 361 at the end of 2017, for an annual production capacity of 7 958 GWh (almost 8 TWh), and there were 661 in December 2018, for a production capacity of 14 TWh per year.
At the end of March 2019, there were 759 projects in queue, whose production capacity was around 16 TWh per year . Ultimately, the objective of reaching 8 TWh actually injected into the network in 2023 does not seem that infeasible!
Biomethane price
Still according to the same article in Le Figaro, the current price of purchasing a megawatt hour (MWh) of biomethane is currently between €90-95 , and should drop to €67 in 2023 and €45 in 2028.
To know :
1 TWh = 1,000 GWh
1 GWh = 1,000 MWh
1 MWh = 1,000 kWh
GRDF also explains that biomethane is not necessarily more expensive than natural gas for the end customer, since the prices are set independently by each supplier.
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