France’s TotalEnergies, one of the world’s largest LNG players, is boosting its biogas business with the purchase of a 20 percent stake in Finland-based Ductor.
According to a statement by TotalEnergies, Ductor has developed an innovative technology to process high-nitrogen organic waste, such as poultry manure, which is usually difficult to use for biomethane production.
By allowing the treatment of new types of input, this technology is helping to accelerate the development of the biogas value chain, and will also enable TotalEnergies to seize new market opportunities, it said.
Moreover, TotalEnergies has also formed a partnership with Ductor to develop and invest in several biomethane production projects, primarily in the United States and Europe.
Ductor already has a pipeline of fifteen to twenty projects, some of which are at an advanced stage, according to TotalEnergies.
The partners are planning to develop an initial facility in Ohio, United States.
Under the terms of this joint venture, TotalEnergies will market the production of the biomethane, and Ductor the production of the sustainable biofertilizers, it said.
TotalEnergies aims to produce 20 TWh per year by 2030, equivalent to the average annual gas demand of four million French consumers and a reduction in CO2 emissions of around four million tons, the firm said.
It claims that it is currently a leading company in the European biogas segment with production capacity of 1.1 TWh.
Earlier this year, TotalEnergies purchased Poland’s main biogas producer, Polska Grupa Biogazowa (PGB).
Besides TotalEnergies, Shell also completed its deal worth nearly $2 billion in February to buy 100 percent shareholding of Denmark-based biogas producer Nature Energy Biogas.
Shell said the acquisition will add new volumes and support its efforts to transition its growing European LNG customer base to bio-LNG, with supply intended to span road, marine, and other customers.