France has proposed extending its flagship renewable gas support mechanism to cover pyrolysis-based production, a regulatory change that would for the first time allow wood-processing projects using thermochemical conversion to access long-term offtake support in one of Europe's largest gas markets.
The draft decree, published for public consultation following a meeting of France's National Biogas Group on 25 June, would add pyrolysis and gasification as eligible pathways under the country's Biogas Production Certificate scheme (CPB), which currently covers only anaerobic digestion and landfill gas capture. The CPB obliges natural gas suppliers to surrender biogas production certificates in proportion to gas delivered. The draft extends the scheme through 2041 with rising quotas, as part of France's push towards 44TWh of grid-injected biomethane by 2030.
Canadian firm CHAR Technologies welcomed the development, which would allow projects deploying its High-Temperature Pyrolysis (HTP) platform through French partner GazoTech to access the mechanism. GazoTech's lead project, Bio-Méthane Provence in Gardanne, is being developed on the site of a former 600MW coal-fired power plant and is designed to process 115,000 tonnes of recovered wood annually, producing 230GWh of renewable natural gas and 12,000 tonnes of biocarbon, with commercial operations targeted for H2 2029 subject to permitting and financing.
'France moving to open its principal long-term renewable gas support mechanism to pyrolysis is a very encouraging signal for our European strategy,' said Andrew White, CEO of CHAR Tech.
Maël Disa, CEO of GazoTech, said the proposal 'recognises thermochemical pathways alongside anaerobic digestion, which is exactly the framework our projects need to reach final investment decision', adding that the company intended to engage in the public consultation as the text moves towards adoption.
France proposes opening biogas support scheme to pyrolysis
