Veolia (Paris) and Waga Energy have announced the commissioning of France’s largest biomethane production unit using biogas from a non-hazardous waste storage facility. Located on the largest biogas production site in France, Veolia’s industrial ecology hub in Claye-Souilly (Paris region), will produce 120 GWh of renewable gas annually. This is equivalent to the average annual consumption of 20,000 households or 480 buses running on BioNGV, and will avoid around 25,000 tons of CO2 every year.
Based on the WAGABOX technology developed by Waga Energy, this fully automated and remotely controlled production unit recovers and treats the biogas from landfill waste to transform it into biomethane, a 100% renewable gas. This green gas is then injected directly into the GRDF-operated network to provide energy to homes and businesses in the region, for their traditional uses but also to decarbonize the transport sector thanks to BioGNV.
The Claye-Souilly project is one of four developed through a partnership between Veolia and Waga Energy in France. A production unit is already in operation in Saint-Palais (Cher), with two others currently under construction in Le Ham (Manche) and Chatuzange-le-Goubet (Drôme).
Once commissioned, these four units will represent biomethane production capacity of up to 175 GWh per year by 2024, and will allow to avoid 35,000 metric tons of CO2 annually.
“Veolia is a key player in the biogas production and the conversion of biogas into energy, the Group already produces 1.6 terrawat hours of biogas from waste methanisation in France alone. We intend to contribute to the development of a full-fledged green gas production sector at the European level, which is essential for energy security and to fight against global warming,” explains Estelle Brachlianoff, Group Chief Operating Officer at Veolia.
Mathieu Lefebvre, co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Waga Energy, adds: “The commissioning of this high-capacity unit at the Claye-Souilly industrial ecology hub marks a new milestone in our five-year collaboration with Veolia. We are delighted to combine our unique gas engineering expertise with the expertise of a world leader in waste treatment to develop a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. By producing biomethane, a pillar of energy transition, we are taking concrete action against global warming and helping to strenghen our country’s energy independence.”
Bertrand de Singly, Regional Customer Director, Ile-de-France at GRDF: “Thanks to this 27th biomethane production unit, the Seine-et-Marne is becoming more energy independent, with 16% of its residential gas consumption now covered by local biomethane production (with a target of 75% by 2030 in the CapMétha77 charter). GRDF has invested in adapting the gas network to accommodate the renewable gas production of this exceptional project.”
The industrial ecology hub, located in Claye-Souilly in the Île-de-France region, treats and recovers up to 1.5 million tons annually of municipal and industrial waste. It is already equipped with facilities converting the biogas produced into heat and electricity. With the commissioning of the new biomethane production unit, the site’s total annual energy production from all sources will increase to 238 GWh, a 40% increase on current energy supply.