Aurélien Fleurot, edited by Gauthier Delomez 06:20, March 11, 2022

To reduce their dependence on Russian gas, the countries of the European Union are looking for solutions: storage, diversified supplies... The Minister of the Economy Bruno Le Maire also cites biogas, which can be produced in France.

The European Commission also sees this avenue as one of the solutions for the future.

An additional avenue for reducing our dependence on Russian gas: methanation.

The European Union has "solutions to become independent" of these imports, according to the Minister of the Economy, Bruno Le Maire, who detailed various avenues such as gas storage from this summer, group purchases, diversification of supplies , but also the consumption of biogas, which can be produced in France.

For the latter, the European Commission also sees it as a solution for the future.

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The objective of 30% renewable gas consumption within ten years

To make biogas, agricultural waste is absorbed in huge tanks, then digested and transformed into gas.

Methanisation units are multiplying among French farmers, for whom the investments are heavy, but partly financed by Europe and the State.

France also hopes to achieve 30% renewable gas consumption within ten years.

Objectives that must be revised upwards, according to the FNSEA or the France renewable gas association.

But for that, we need to help the anaerobic digestion sectors, and also the pyrogasification from wood waste, to strengthen.

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How biomethane production could increase

To strengthen these sectors, it will be necessary to lift the regulatory locks.

This would make it possible to increase the pace very quickly to secure next winter.

The European Commission plans to double the production of biomethane in one year, helping farmers to become energy producers.

According to GRDF, green gas could represent two thirds of gas consumption in France in 2040. And even for RTE or Ademe, this share could represent nearly a quarter of the French energy mix in 2050.