CMA CGM Group and ENGIE plan to co-invest in the Salamander project, the first industrial and commercial unit for the production of second generation biomethane.
The two parties aim to produce up to 200,000 tonnes of renewable gas per year worldwide by 2028 to meet the needs of CMA CGM and the shipping industry.
The area, majority owned by ENGIE and the CMA CGM Group, is considered to be in Le Havre, with the support of the Havre Seine Métropole urban community via the investment program “Le Havre, Ville portuaire intelligente” (Le Havre, a smart port city).
Starting in 2026, the site is expected to produce 11,000 tonnes of biomethane annually.
“To reach our target of net-zero carbon by 2050, the CMA CGM Group is seeking to form solid industrial partnerships, led by this initiative with ENGIE that aims to produce up to 200,000 tons of renewable gas annually by 2028,” said Christine Cabau Woehrel, executive vice president assets and operations at CMA CGM.
“Salamander is the first industrial ramp-up to emerge from the partnership, an advanced pilot helping to develop the renewable gas sector, in keeping with the goals of energy independence and the energy transition set forth by the European Commission in the RepowerEU plan“, she added.
The two groups plan to finalise their investment decision in late 2022 and at the moment a funding request has been submitted to the European Commission’s Innovation Fund.
The dual-fuel engine technology developed by CMA CGM, which currently runs on LNG, is already capable of using bioLNG as well as synthetic methane.
This fuel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 67% compared to Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil (VLSFO).
CMA CGM and ENGIE have also been working together for several months to boost the development of the energies and technologies of the future, support new models of sustainable mobility and reduce the climate impact of transport and logistics.
“ENGIE is innovating with a new local production method for second-generation biomethane using wood waste, underpinned by an energy production technology involving pyrogasification,” commented Edouard Sauvage, executive vice president of infrastructure at ENGIE.
“The scale of the project reflects our ambitions and accelerated development in renewable gas production. It demonstrates our ability to support leading companies in their transition to net zero,” he added.
