Biomethane first for TotalEnergies

TotalEnergies and US partner Clean Energy are to build their first joint venture biomethane production unit, in Friona, Texas, US. The biomethane will be used to help decarbonise road transport.

Located on the Del Rio Dairy farm, the facility will be fuelled by the onsite supply of livestock manure to produce more than 40 GWh/y of biomethane. The biomethane will be distributed by Clean Energy through its US network of fuelling stations, supplying renewable gas to between 200 and 300 trucks per year.

By processing cow manure, a significant source of methane emissions, and substituting fossil fuels with renewable energies, the project will avoid some 45,000 t/y of CO₂e emissions, claims the joint venture.

TotalEnergies became the largest shareholder of Clean Energy in May 2018. It currently holds a 19% stake in the company, which is the leading natural gas vehicle fuels supplier in the US. In March 2021, the two partners set up a 50:50 joint venture to speed up the development of biomethane production in the US.

TotalEnergies is the lead biomethane company in France, with close to 500 GWh of production capacity, and aims to become a major player in biomethane internationally by partnering with market leaders in other geographies, such as Clean Energy in the US and Adani in India. The company is active across the entire biomethane value chain, from project development to marketing of biomethane and its by-products (biofertilisers, bioCO₂). It aims to produce 2 TWh/y of biomethane by 2025.

Cow manure is a significant source of methane emissions
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