Arkema signs one of the largest private biomethane deals in Europe

Paris, France – Arkema has signed a long-term agreement with ENGIE starting on 1 January 2023, for the supply of 300 GWh/year of renewable biomethane in France. This represents one of the largest private biomethane deals in Europe to date.

Arkema is proud to be already a pioneer in bio-based high performance materials derived from renewable castor beans, which offer a substantially lower carbon footprint compared to equivalent fossil-based materials.

This supply agreement of 300 GWh/year of renewable biomethane with ENGIE, and ongoing energy efficiency projects will enable Arkema to further reduce very significantly the carbon footprint of its bio-based high performance Rilsan® polyamide 11 and Pebax® Rnew® elastomers.

Biomethane is a renewable alternative to natural gas with a lower carbon footprint and is produced through fermentation of organic matter. The feedstock for biomethane in France is particularly respectful of the environment with more than 95% coming from the fermentation of agricultural residues and organic waste and with no competition with food.

Arkema is also exploring opportunities to collaborate with ENGIE and other industry participants to support the continuous improvement of renewable biomethane production in France.

“We are very excited to announce this milestone contract with ENGIE, which will enable us to lower the carbon footprint of our bio-based high-performance materials even further, in line with our customers’ expectations. The transition towards sustainable materials is accelerating and Arkema is more than ever a partner of choice thanks to its broad range of bio-based and recycled materials.” – Erwoan Pezron, Senior Vice-President of Akrema’s High Performance Polymers

“We are delighted to accompany Arkema – a historical client of ENGIE – in their sustainable transition journey with such a large green energy supply agreement. At ENGIE, we believe that biomethane will play an essential role in the European energy mix and will be a key vector for decarbonizing the energy usages of our clients. This landmark deal definitely represents a major boost in the energy intensive chemical industry and establishes further ENGIE as a reference biomethane player in Europe.” – Paulo Almirante, ENGIE Senior EVP in charge of Renewables, Energy Management and Nuclear Activities.