Suez’ sludge treatment plant in Marseille
SUEZ (Paris, France; www.suez-environnement.fr), through its subsidiary SERAMM in Marseille (France), officially began the construction of a biomethane production and injection plant, produced from wastewater treatment processes. The Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolitan area, SUEZ, the French Water Agency, the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) and Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur region invest €9.2 million in the conversion of part of Marseille’s Géolide wastewater treatment plant, with the aim of producing enough biomethane to supply 2,500 households from 1 January 2019.
Beginning 1 January 2019, the biogas produced in the sludge digestion process will be collected, converted into biomethane and injected into the public natural gas network at a rate of 2.3 million Nm3 a year2. The facility has been designed with a future extension in mind, allowing for a rate of 3.8 million Nm3/year, which will make it the largest in France.
The Aix-Marseille-Provence metropolitan area will be able to produce enough green energy to supply about 2,500 households. This biomethane – in compressed form – could also, in the longer term, be used as a biofuel for public transport running on natural gas (NGV).
The new biomethane production plant will offer several environmental benefits. The proportion of recoverable biogas will increase by 35% while CO2 emissions should drop by 30%.
In partnership with its local authority and industrial customers, SUEZ is planning to increase its production of biomethane in France by 30 to 50% by 2020.