The energy transition of the maritime transport sector: the 1st french port project of Bio-LNG production

• A major circular economy project run by EveRé, Elengy, TotalEnergies and the CMA CGM Group
• Bio-LNG produced from the household waste of the Aix-Marseille Provence Metropolis
• Bio-LNG, a renewable energy to fuel the CMA CGM Group’s fleet.

EveRé, operator of the multi-purpose household waste treatment centre serving the Aix-Marseille Provence Metropolis, the CMA CGM Group, a world leader in maritime transport and logistics, Elengy, operator of the Fos-sur-Mer liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals, an ENGIE subsidiary, and TotalEnergies, a broad energy company that produces and markets energies on a global scale, have joined forces to study, in the Grand Port Maritime de Marseille, the feasibility of France’s first project for the production of liquefied biomethane (bio-LNG), an alternative low-carbon fuel to be used specifically within the energy transition for maritime transport

Resulting from biodegradable household waste from the Marseille-Provence territory, bio-LNG will lower maritime transport’s carbon emissions from the Grand Port Maritime de Marseille- . The bio-LNG produced will be use– mostly by the CMA CGM Group’s LNG-powered ships –

The project observes the principles of the circular economy. The use of the Metropolis' household waste will reduce local air pollutants (NOx, SOx and fine particles), thereby improving the quality of life of residents, as well as the air quality, and will promote the energy transition of maritime transport.

A real commitment to the energy transition of maritime transport
The use of bio-GNL combined with the dual fuel gas engine technology developed by CMA CGM can reduce greenhouse gases up to 67% (including CO₂) compared to VLSFO in well-to-wake (the complete value-chain) The tank-to-wake measures(by the size of the ship) can reduce greenhouse emissions by 88%.

The use of liquefied natural gas reduces sulphur dioxide emissions by 99%, fine particle emissions by 91% and nitrogen dioxide emissions by 92%. By the end of 2024, 44 ships of the CMA CGM fleet will be LNG powered.

A project integrated into the local ecosystem
This project is perfectly integrated into the local ecosystem as it makes use of existing infrastructure at the Marseille-Foss Port that is particularly well suited to this undertaking: EveRé’s waste methanisation units, Elengy’s LNG terminals to store and deliver the bio-GNL, TotalEnergies’ bunker ship, which will be present at the port from January 2022, and CMA CGM’s fleet of LNG-powered ships. A feasibility study was launched as part of this major project. This project should contribute to the national strategy to promote the use of bio-NGL, set out in the in the law on the mobility framework.

CMA CGM, ENGIE and TotalEnergies: three groups committed to promoting sustainable transport
CMA CGM, Engie and TotalEnergies have been working together for several months as part of the “Coalition pour l’énergie de demain” (Coalition for the Energy of the Future). The Coalition aims to accelerate the development of future energy sources and technologies that will enable new models of sustainable transport and thus reduce the climate impact of the transport and logistics sector.

To achieve real technological breakthroughs and tangible results by 2030, the Coalition has set itself three main goals:

• significantly expand the sources of clean energy supply
• reduce energy consumption per kilometre equivalent carried
• reduce the share of emissions from transport and logistics