Indre becomes one of the first French departments to achieve 20% renewable gas consumption

The quantity of renewable gas injected into the GRTgaz and GRDF networks has reached 20% of the Indre department's consumption (970 GWh in 2023)

This symbolic milestone, achieved within ten years, testifies to the department's impetus in terms of energy transition, making it one of the first in France to reach 20% of renewable gas, with 195.8 GWh of installed capacity thanks to 9 biogas plants: 4 injecting into the GRTgaz transport network, and 5 into the distribution system operated by GRDF. This is equivalent to the annual gas consumption of almost 24,375 average homes (based on 8 MWh per home).

The Indre department is pioneering energy transition. Biogas production plant projects provide practical solutions to climate change challenges. The renewable gas sector is developing strongly and steadily, and today the grid operators are proud to announce that the installed renewable gas capacity has attained 20% of the department's consumption. 

The 20% share of consumption from renewable gas was reached thanks to the commissioning of the ABEV biogas plant

This result follows the commissioning, on 7 November 2024, of the ABEV (Alliance Berry Energies Vertes) biogas plant at Luçay-le-mâle, which will make it possible to:

• Recover 100,000 tonnes of local organic matter per year from the 44 farms involved, the local community and the local agri-food industries,
• Create 4 jobs,
• Produce around 800 Nm3 CH4/h of biogas, i.e. 76 GWh of biomethane per year, injected into the GRTgaz grid. This production corresponds to the energy needs of 9,500 households.

This project has received €1.9 million in funding from ADEME, the French environment and energy management agency.

This massive development of renewable gas in the Indre department and, more broadly, in the Centre Val de Loire region, is in line with the targets of the energy transition, with a number of major positive impacts:

• Reduction in greenhouse gas emissions: producing local, low-carbon energy contributes to reducing the carbon footprint, while supporting national commitments to combat climate change. 195,8 GWh of renewable gas injected into the grid equals almost 37 million tonnes of CO2 avoided each year, contributing to the national goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
• Creation of jobs that cannot be relocated, in the construction, operation or maintenance of the facilities. These local jobs contribute to the region’s economic growth.
• Promoting energy sovereignty: local renewable energy production reduces dependence on imported energy and ensures greater resilience in the face of energy market fluctuations. With energy production equivalent to almost 20% of consumption, the Indre department is reducing its dependence on imported energy, thereby ensuring greater resilience to fluctuations in the world market. The share of renewable gas by 2030, which aims to reach 20% nationally (data from the “Perspectives Gaz 2024” (Gas Prospects) scenario-building exercise undertaken by the network operators, which proposes a pathway compatible with the climate targets of the European Fit for 55 plan). This development is based on an increase in the production of biomethane in line with the latest data communicated on the French Energy-Climate Strategy (SFEC) and on a scenario of a significant reduction in consumption in 2030 (-20% compared with 2023).

The development of renewable and low-carbon gases is a true asset for the regions. They not only respond to environmental challenges, but also provide opportunities for local farmers and industries. Each anaerobic digestion project, each production unit, is a lever for employment and local economic growth, while at the same time ensuring the decarbonisation of uses, including in short loops. The many local initiatives around bioNGV are the first evidence of this, supported by numerous local authorities.