soNews issue no. 16 - December 2024
Tuesday 10 Decembre
soNews is a blogletter sent to our partners and contacts (local authorities, energy providers, customers, suppliers, etc.). It shines the spotlight on the projects carried out or supported by GRTgaz in the field of energy transition and the 3rd Gas Revolution.
In SoNews today
This winter, France's gas infrastructure should be capable of covering France’s gas requirements and, if necessary, helping out our neighbouring countries. Even in the event of a harsh winter (subject to the expected good behaviour of suppliers).
This is the key message of the French gas Winter Outlook 2024/2025, (French gas system outlook) for the winter of 2024/2025, which we presented at the end of October.
In Europe, Russian gas imports have fallen by 70% in three years and 12 new gas entry points have been created since 2022.
For its supply, France can rely on sustained imports from Norway, the Netherlands and Spain, as well as LNG transported by sea to French LNG terminals. Equally reassuring, gas storage facilities were filled to 78.9% of capacity at 1 December, key to guaranteeing secure supplies before the onset of winter. But what about sobriety? Eco-friendly gestures are still important, especially at the start of winter, with the aim of preserving existing stocks as much as possible in anticipation of possible cold spells later on.
On 7 November, GRTgaz and the four other system operators involved in the project opened the call for Expressions of Interest (AMI) for the H2med corridor.
Open until 18 December, it will enable us to identify the needs and receive expressions of interest from manufacturers based around this future major hydrogen corridor. H2med will link Portugal to Germany, via Spain and France by 2030. In France, GRTgaz is heading the HY-FEN project, a future 1,000 km hydrogen backbone between Marseille and the German border. Feasibility studies started this year.
On 13 November, the Fédération des Entreprises du Recyclage (FEDEREC, a gas recycling businesses collective) and GRTgaz signed a partnership agreement to validate and develop the SRF pyrogasification technology.
In France, too little use is made of Solid Recovered Fuels (SRF) derived from non-recyclable waste, due to a lack of outlets. But pyrogasification could change that, by using this waste to produce an abundant renewable, low-carbon gas that can be injected into the grid. In 2022, a call for Expressions Of Interest (EOI) led by GRTgaz had already identified 49 pyrogasification projects, including several linked to SRF. Great news!
Almost 9,000 km of hydrogen (H2) transport network throughout Germany, 60% of it based on repurposed natural gas pipelines. On 22 October, the German Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) gave the green light to the colossal Kernnetz hydrogen highway project, due to be completed by 2032. Cost of the project: around €19 billion. GRTgaz, through its subsidiary GRTgaz Deutschland, and its German partner OGE (Open Grid Europe), are involved in three of Kernnetz's key projects, for a total investment of 821 million euros.
In 8 years' time, Germany hopes to have the most efficient H2 infrastructure in the world.
For our neighbour across the Rhine, hydrogen will be strategic in decarbonising its industry.
- 5 TWh:
France's estimated production of biomethane this winter, equivalent to around one nuclear power plant unit, given in the latest French gas system outlooks - 24:
Success! The recent call for Expressions Of Interest in Hydrothermal Gasification, an innovative way of producing renewable, low-carbon gas, attracted a great deal of interest in France: no fewer than 24 projects were identified between September and October. Read the full press release.
For the uninitiated, the production of hydrogen by electrolysis or of synthetic methane remains quite mysterious. Yet it's the future! Science youtuber Monsieur Bidouille has taken up the challenge of explaining them.
To do so, he did a deep dive into the Power to Gas Jupiter 1000 industrial demonstrator, run by GRTgaz at Fos-sur-Mer, near Marseille. Fascinating.
On Friday 13 December, at 1.15pm, GRTgaz is organising its first LinkedIn Live dedicated to the practical applications of carbon capture, storage and recovery technologies.
The perfect opportunity to hear from some industry players committed to CCUS (Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage), one of the ways of decarbonising industry: Emilie Espanet (NEW ENERGIES Coalition), Aurélie Picart (CSF NSE) and Jean-François Bricaud (Heidelberg Materials).
>> This live session will be hosted by Bruno Lestrade (GRTgaz).