TotalEnergies & Clean Energy Start Construction of Biogas Unit
Strategic Research Institute
Published on :
10 Dec, 2021, 5:30 am
Through their joint venture, TotalEnergies and its US partner Clean Energy are launching the construction of their first biomethane production unit, in Friona, Texas. The biomethane will be used as an alternative fuel for mobility, thus contributing to decarbonize road transportation. Located on the Del Rio Dairy farm, the facility will be fueled by the onsite supply of livestock manure to produce more than 40 GWh of biomethane per year. The biomethane will be distributed in the United States by Clean Energy through its network of fueling stations, enabling the supply of renewable gas to between 200 and 300 trucks per year.
By processing cow manure, a significant source of methane emissions, and substituting fossil fuels with renewable energies, the project will avoid some 45,000 tonnes of CO2e emissions per year1.
Through the acquisition of an interest in Clean Energy in May 2018, TotalEnergies became the largest shareholder of the US leader in natural gas vehicle fuels, with a stake of some 19% today. In March 2021, the two partners set up a 50/50 joint venture to speed up the development of biomethane production in the United States.
Biomethane is a renewable gas that has a key role to play in the energy transition. TotalEnergies is the segment leader in France, with close to 500 GWh of production capacity, and aims to become a major player in biomethane internationally by partnering with market leaders in other geographies, such as Clean Energy in the United States and Adani in India. The Company is active across the entire biomethane value chain, from project development to marketing of biomethane and its by-products (biofertilizers, bioCO2). It aims to produce 2 TWh of biomethane per year by 2025 – equivalent to the average annual consumption of 670,000 U.S. consumers, and a reduction in CO2 emissions of 400,000 tonnes.