France: Biofuels, an Ecological Revolution in Progress

Biofuel producers, the farming industry and the construction and public works sector met to discuss the ecological transition by reducing subsidies for off-road diesel and promoting biofuels in France.

Share:

pompe Biocarburant

France, Europe’s biofuel champion, affirms its commitment to the energy transition at a historic meeting between biofuel producers, agriculture and construction. They have launched a debate on the development of biofuels, an initiative of the French Ministry of the Economy.

Ecological Transition and Biofuels

This meeting is the result of the government’s decision to gradually reduce subsidies for non-road diesel fuel (NRG). The price of NRG will rise by 2.85 euro cents per liter per year for farmers, and by 5.99 euro cents per liter for the construction industry by 2030. Bruno Le Maire, the French Minister of the Economy, has promised to reinvest every euro saved in the decarbonization of the industry.

France, European Champion

According to Bruno Le Maire, France is Europe’s biofuel champion. Every year, the country consumes 36 terawatt-hours of biofuels, equivalent to the output of six nuclear power plants. France is Europe’s leading producer of bioethanol and second largest producer of biodiesel.

Government priorities

The Ministers of Agriculture, Marc Fesneau, and Energy Transition, Agnès Pannier-Runacher, have announced that the agriculture, forestry and heavy construction machinery sectors have been given priority access to biomass fuels.

Next steps

In 2024, distribution of XTL diesel biofuel will be facilitated. This allows for more extensive marketing. We’re going to administratively create the “NGR XTL+” for non-road use.

The Dialogue Model for Ecological Transition

The dialogue initiated at this meeting will continue over the coming months via working groups involving stakeholders and the French government. Bruno Le Maire believes that this model of dialogue can be useful for the country’s ecological transition, in these political times when passions prevail over reason.

It is essential to meet the challenge of biomass production under increasing constraints. We also need to encourage the adoption of new solutions such as biofuels. The transition to more environmentally-friendly energies is vital if we are to remain competitive as fossil fuels become more expensive.

This meeting marks an important step in the search for sustainable solutions for the future of energy in France. It demonstrates the government’s commitment to promoting moreenvironmentally-friendly fuels.

 

Canadian company Hydron Energy will supply its innovative INTRUPTor-Mid technology to produce renewable natural gas in Ontario, marking its first commercial order in the biomethane sector with a promise of significant cost reductions.
US President Donald Trump has ratified a law extending until the end of 2029 the tax credit on renewable natural gas production from biomass and animal manure, aiming to boost the rural economy.
Valmet secures a contract to deliver a bubbling fluidized bed biomass boiler and flue gas handling equipment to Kraftringen Energi's upcoming combined heat and power plant, aimed at strengthening energy supply in Sweden.
Elcimaï Environnement has completed a methanisation unit integrated into Laon's wastewater treatment plant, now enabling the conversion of sludge and bio-waste into biomethane injected into the local grid, meeting the annual energy needs of 1,150 households.
Infrastructure manager Teréga and GRDF inaugurated in Auch, Occitanie, the region’s first biomethane reverse-flow station, designed to facilitate biomethane transfer from the distribution to the transport network, representing an investment of €3mn ($3.27mn).
Eni has inaugurated its first vegetable oil extraction plant in Loudima, Republic of the Congo, marking the country's entry into the global biofuel supply chain for the transport industry.
The city of Toul has officially inaugurated a biomass heating plant operated by ENGIE Solutions, intended to supply heating from wood-energy to over 2,400 local homes starting from the next winter season.
North American biomethane capacity will increase by 70 million cubic feet per day in 2025 following a record growth of 139 mmcfd in 2024, driven notably by transportation sector demand, according to Wood Mackenzie.
The voluntary carbon market intensifies industrial interest in carbon capture within the pulp and paper and bioenergy sectors, creating an estimated $3 billion opportunity through carbon credit trading.
Germany’s announcement to eliminate double counting is shaking up manure-based biomethane and GHG certificate markets, prompting buyers to anticipate significant price hikes.
Enilive has started producing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) at its biorefinery in Gela, Sicily, with an annual capacity of 400,000 tons, meeting nearly a third of Europe's projected demand for 2025.
Under growing pressure to decarbonize, the world’s leading oil companies are heavily investing in biofuels, with 43 projects aiming to boost sustainable fuel production by the end of the decade.
Skyven Technologies introduces an industrial heat pump capable of generating steam, reducing Western New York Energy's CO2 emissions by 20,000 tons a year.
Unions at the Cordemais coal-fired power station have called a strike and are demanding that EDF CEO Luc Rémont come to the plant to explain the abandonment of the biomass conversion project.
Haffner Energy and Bambbco collaborate to integrate bamboo as a new sustainable biomass source. The partnership aims to strengthen the supply of biomass for clean energy production, by exploiting marginal lands.
The CGT has revealed that EDF is considering halting the conversion of the Cordemais power plant to biomass, a project essential to the energy security of western France. EDF insists that the final decision has not yet been taken.
Hat: Gevo makes a strategic sale of tax credits generated by its renewable natural gas (RNG) site in Iowa, a transaction that strengthens its position in the renewable energy market.
NewEnergyBlue buys Inbicon's biomass technology from Ørsted, strengthening its global patent portfolio and licenses.
The launch of the Omaezakikou biomass power plant, affiliated to RENOVA, has been pushed back to March 2025. Technical adjustments extend the timetable and affect financial forecasts.
ENGIE and INRAE extend their five-year collaboration to optimize the biomethane sector in France, focusing on research and innovation to improve methanization and the use of agricultural resources.