Veolia, Waga & ENGIE Refine Renewable Natural Gas in France
Work is under way to increase the development of the Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) industry in France. But how is this being done?
Thanks to a partnership between Veolia, Waga Energy and ENGIE, the companies are aiding the country in keeping up with the growing need to develop local, low-carbon energies.
As a leader in bioenergies, Veolia is working with Waga Energy, a global expert in the production of RNG from landfills and ENGIE — because of its global leadership in low-carbon energy and services — have created an unprecedented partnership to take a significant step forward in the development of the RNG industry in France.
What is RNG?
RNG is a sustainable energy source produced from organic waste materials. It has been refined to meet the same quality standards as fossil natural gas, making it suitable for use in existing natural gas infrastructure and applications. The various organic materials it can be derived from include the likes of landfill waste, agricultural waste, wastewater treatment plants and food waste.
RGN is carbon neutral, meaning that using it helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions because it recycles carbon already present, unlike fossil fuels. It also serves as a productive use for organic waste that would otherwise contribute to methane emissions if left to decompose in landfills.
The sustainable energy source can then be used for applications such as heating and cooking, electricity generation and transportation in the form of vehicle fuel.
Revolutionising the RNG landscape in France
Estelle Brachlianoff, CEO of Veolia said: “Veolia is a key player in the production of bioenergy, already producing 1.6TWh of biogas from waste anaerobic digestion in France alone.
“Through this partnership with Waga Energy and ENGIE, we are contributing to the development of a genuine green gas production industry at the European level, essential for the ecological transformation. This is perfectly aligned with our GreenUp strategic plan, which aims to accelerate the deployment of local, low-carbon green energy.”
For the last two years, Veolia has been supplying Waga with biogas from the Claye-Souilly landfill site to produce RNG to be sold to ENGIE under the feed-in tariff subsidised by the French government.
A Biomethane Purchase Agreement (BPA), valuing RNG at a higher price than the subsidised price, followed in May 2024 covering a 13-year period, the longest BPA signed in France to date.
Waga CEO Mathieu Lefebvre added: “The signing of this 13-year BPA with ENGIE is a first of its kind in France.
“We are delighted with this major first in the world of renewable gas, the result of close collaboration with the Veolia and ENGIE teams.”
Through this agreement, ENGIE will sell unsubsidised RNG to its customers, helping them reduce their environmental impact and carbon footprint. Veolia's Claye Souilly site, one of France's largest RNG production units, produces 120GWh of RNG each year, enough to power around 20,000 households. This reduces CO2 emissions by approximately 20,000 tonnes by decreasing reliance on fossil natural gas.
Miya Paolucci, Member of ENGIE's Global Energy Management & Sales Executive Committee continued: “Veolia and Waga Energy are excellent industrial partners who, like ENGIE, are driven by the desire to develop RNG, a renewable, local and sovereign energy, which is one of the pillars of the energy transition
“The signing of this new BPA contributes to ENGIE's goal to supply 30 TWh of RNG per year to our customers by 2030.”
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