ENGIE and CMA CGM Sign Agreement to Develop 7,000-Ton-Per-Year Biomethane Project

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 13, French energy company ENGIE and shipping group CMA CGM announced the signing of a framework agreement to develop a biomethane production plant in the Le Havre industrial port area in France. The project is planned to produce 7,000 tons of biomethane per year, equivalent to approximately 100 gigawatt-hours of energy supply, and is scheduled to begin supplying gas to CMA CGM's fleet between 2029 and 2030, with an expected reduction of approximately 23,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

According to the implementation division of responsibilities announced by both parties, ENGIE will be responsible for the technical design, development, and permit applications for the plant, and will undertake construction and operation after the project passes its final investment decision. CMA CGM will acquire a minority stake in the project through its energy investment fund PULSE. This collaboration continues the energy partnership established in 2021, with feedstock supply and fuel procurement arrangements centered on CMA CGM's existing liquefied natural gas-powered fleet.

The plant is planned to use livestock waste, municipal organic waste, and agricultural residues to produce biomethane. The renewable gas produced will be transported through the European natural gas pipeline network and allocated to CMA CGM's fleet using a certified mass balance mechanism. This fuel can be used directly in existing liquefied natural gas-powered vessels without modifying ship engines or existing bunkering infrastructure. According to data published by ENGIE, compared with conventional marine fuels, biomethane can reduce life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions by at least 67%.

The plant also plans to produce approximately 100,000 tons of digestate per year, which can be used as natural fertilizer for local agriculture, and to recover approximately 13,000 tons of biogenic carbon dioxide for commercial sale. The project thus establishes three output arrangements: biomethane production, organic fertilizer by-product utilization, and biogenic carbon dioxide recovery.

ENGIE and CMA CGM announced in 2022 the development of the Salamandre biomethane project in Le Havre, with the original plan involving an investment of 150 million euros, using waste wood pyrolysis gasification technology, and a designed annual output of 11,000 tons. That plan was terminated in early 2025. The newly announced plant uses agricultural, livestock, and municipal organic waste as feedstock, with a planned annual output reduced by 4,000 tons compared with the original plan, and the gas supply timeline adjusted to 2029 to 2030.