Presentation
Biomethane, produced mainly from agricultural biomass, is a renewable low-carbon gas. In France, there are plans to increase its production nearly fourfold by 2030 and more than twelvefold by 2050 to contribute to the energy transition. Methanisation policies also aim to reduce production costs and to promote agricultural practices that are conducive to the agroecological transition. This Study analyzes the tensions and synergies between these three objectives in the implementation of methanisation policies.
Key Messages
- The biomethane production targets in France are based on (1) energy and climate scenarios, all of which require at least 95 TWh of biomethane to achieve climate neutrality, incorporating a 50% reduction in final energy demand and a high level of electrification of uses; (2) assessments of biomass resources, which converge towards 100 to 170 TWh of biomethane that could be mobilized.
- Since 2010, volume growth has been in line with targets. However, agri-environmental benefits have been limited and uneven, and negative impacts have been identified; production costs have not fallen significantly, while the cost of fossil gas has not increased, leading to public expenditure of around €1 billion per year.
- Achieving the volumes envisaged for 2030 would theoretically be possible given the biomass resources available, but would be at the expense of other objectives:
• Production costs would remain stable due to (1) the existing difficulties in mobilizing biomass; (2) a slight decrease in investment costs. With constant public support, the total cost would reach €2 to €3 billion per year.
• Agri-environmental benefits would remain modest, while methanization could reinforce the lock-in of unsustainable production methods, particularly if demand for biomass for animal feed and pressure to lower production costs continue.
Furthermore, the economic viability of the sector could be undermined by the variability and downward trend in yields, exacerbated by (1) pressure on agroecosystems from increased demand for biomass and (2) the effects of climate change.
- Three areas of change for more sustainable production have been identified:
• Renewed regional governance to strengthen: (1) monitoring of methanization projects; (2) implementation resources, in order to reorient or halt failing projects; (3) regional planning of biomass uses, to reduce conflicts of use.
• A demand policy based on prioritizing uses in order to (1) reduce methane gas use in sectors with decarbonized alternatives and (2) encourage sectors without alternatives to support more sustainable production via appropriate financing tools.
• Regular reassessment of the role of gas in energy scenarios and the agro-environmental impacts of methanization, in order to clarify (1) the systemic trade-offs associated with lower production targets and (2) the economic and political conditions for minimizing the negative impacts of methanization, while promoting, where possible, certain aspects of the agroecological transition.
