Methanization is a key sector for achieving national targets for phasing out fossil fuels by 2030. Energy Formation, a subsidiary of GRDF (Gaz Réseau Distribution France), will launch the first session of its training on this process of producing biogas from organic matter at the beginning of 2025 on its campus in Saint-Étienne-de-Montluc, near Nantes (head office).
The new training will be extended in the second semester to its campuses in Gennevilliers (Île de France) and Lyon. This certification course, complementary to existing initial training, was designed by the teams of Energy Formation (120 employees, €22 million in turnover, 15,000 trainees per year), a European reference in the gas network, green gases and hydrogen, and by its partners, including the regional cluster Methatlantic.
Distance or face-to-face training
Covering all the skills needed to successfully carry out a methanization project or to operate a methanization unit (regulations, industrial risks, environmental issues, etc.), the training will be provided remotely and in person.
Professionalize
“Through this training, we want to professionalize project leaders, operators of methanization units and their employees,” explains Stéphane Doistau, Deputy Managing Director of Energy Formation. The challenge is to support the skills development of a sector that could generate 50,000 jobs by 2030: half on production sites, the other half in the ecosystem.
The Pays de la Loire region would come in first place, with 6,000 jobs created. “We have a large network of industrialists and professionals in methanization in the Pays de la Loire: agricultural and agri-food sites, manufacturers, but also banks that have developed real financing expertise in this field,” comments Stéphane Doistau.
Accelerating the emergence of biomethanization projects
The upskilling of the players in the sector also aims to accelerate the emergence of new biomethanization projects. “By allowing participants in our training courses to provide guarantees of professionalism to their stakeholders (banks, insurance companies, local residents, communities, etc.), we hope to create a virtuous circle by reducing project risks,” says the manager. Projects that represent an average investment of 5 million euros.
A target of 20% biogas in French gas consumption
France has, in fact, set itself the goal of producing 50 TWh (terawatt hours) of biogas by 2030, or 20% of its total gas consumption. And biogas is the only green energy on track to exceed the targets set by the PPE (multi-year energy planning), since forecasts predict a production of 60 TWh in 2030. Today, the installed production capacity stands at 12 TWh per year, including 1 TWh in the Pays de la Loire with 150 production units connected to the network. “With the reindexation of the purchase price to take inflation into account and the incentive schemes, we have seen an acceleration of projects over the past six months,” says Stéphane Doisteau.1,272 projects are currently registered in the capacity register.
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