The Council of State has definitively blocked a project to exploit coalbed methane in Lorraine, cancelling the November 2023 decree that authorised La Française de l’Énergie to extract methane trapped in underground coal seams. France’s highest administrative court ruled that the risks to water resources were too significant.
The operation would have required drilling through the Lower Triassic sandstone aquifer, the main source of drinking water in eastern Lorraine. The Council of State found that uncertainties surrounding the extraction technique and the depth of the deposit—more than 2,000 metres—made the project incompatible with the protection of this resource.
A legal dispute initiated by local collectives
The case was brought in December 2023 by four local organisations: the Collectif de défense des bassins miniers lorrains, Lorraine Nature Environnement, the Association de protection de l’environnement du Lorrain (APEL57) and Les Amis de la Terre France. These groups challenged the legality of the government’s decree and warned of the project’s environmental risks.
Initially, the government had refused to grant an exploitation permit, arguing that the production tests were inconclusive. La Française de l’Énergie later secured a court ruling in its favour, which led to the granting of the exploitation licence known as the “Bleue Lorraine Concession”.
A ruling without immediate industrial impact
Coalbed methane has never been exploited commercially in France. The Council of State’s decision does not affect any existing activity but effectively closes the door to similar projects nationwide. The court specified that protecting aquifers is a “crucial environmental issue”, justifying the ban.
This decision, which cannot be appealed, denies La Française de l’Énergie access to the deposit. The company, which specialises in repurposing former coalfields, had partially based its strategy on this project. No further legal challenge is possible against this cancellation.
