BE POSITIF: Teréga’s environmental programme

Teréga is involved in understanding and limiting its environmental impact. The company has embodied that commitment in its BE POSITIF programme, which pursues one objective: to eradicate the environmental footprint of its activities, step by step.

The programme provides for the deployment of committed structural actions covering all the company’s activities, based on the principle of: Avoid - Reduce - Compensate. 

It is built on an ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 certified integrated management system to be rolled out within the company, with continuous improvement as part of the plan. Employees are involved in BE POSITIF at every level: from Research & Innovation to operational activities, across every department.

As a stakeholder conscious of the climate emergency, Teréga contributes to reaching the targets in the Paris Agreements, and is fully in line with the targets set by the “Fit for 55” package from Europe and the National Low-Carbon Strategy. So Teréga has set itself some ambitious targets in terms of greenhouse gas reduction:

• 2025 : 36% reduction in GHG emissions against 2017 levels

• 2030 : 30% reduction in scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions against 2021 levels

• 2050 : achieve carbon neutrality

The BE POSITIF programme fits first of all into Teréga’s core business activities. Teréga Research & Innovation, in association with the environmental department and operational teams, conceives and develops technologies to decrease the company’s carbon footprint. A number of practical actions have come out of that, including:

• The renewal and operation of the compression estate, which now focuses on electric compressors, and the installation of repressurisation systems to prevent discharges of methane into the atmosphere. The development and deployment of two technologies to prevent leaks from compressor seals: the Seal Gas Recovery System (SRGG), enabling gases from seals to be collected and compressed, along with “CobaDGS”, meaning the installation of new nitrogen-based seals.

• The reduction of emissions linked to operational needs on the transport network through mobile repressurisation or flaring.

All these actions have allowed Teréga to reduce its GHG emissions by 32% (scopes 1 and 2), and to reduce its methane emissions by 21% between 2017 and 2022. 

Teréga is also looking into the indirect emissions linked to its activities (scope 3) and started by working in 2022 on the associated quantification measures. Collaborative work between the group and its suppliers has been put in place to limit indirect emissions (scope 3), chiefly linked to the purchase of goods and services. In this way, Teréga is taking part of its ecosystem with it along the virtuous path to decarbonisation.

Teréga is constantly trying to optimise its energy consumption, and is part of the national frugality plan, which sets the target of a 40% reduction by 2050.

In practical, operational terms, this has resulted in prioritising the use of higher-efficiency compressors, introducing technologies to help avoid natural gas discharges, and improving energy performance in tertiary buildings.

By doing those things, Teréga has reduced energy consumption per unit of gas transported by 26% between 2017 and 2022.

In addition, Teréga is backing up these frugality efforts by consuming energy more responsibly. For a number of years, the electricity consumed at Teréga, whether in its buildings or on industrial sites, has been 100% renewable, and future projects to produce its own electricity to supply sites are emerging. One example is Lussagnet, which will provide the site for a 12 GWh solar self-consumption plant from 2024.

At Teréga, a number of actions are also being taken to protect the environment and its biodiversity:

• A deliberate move to “zero phyto” during vegetation management work, resulting in:

  • Testing of solutions for overground installation maintenance (use of biocontrol products, planting at stations etc.)

  • Mechanical maintenance of pipeline access areas, thus avoiding the use of plant treatment products, carried out in the autumn, when the impact on local wildlife and plant life is less.

Attention paid to the issue of biodiversity as part of construction projects, particularly through performing a fauna and flora audit and identifying and considering the challenges of biodiversity.

Since it is not always possible to avoid and reduce all impacts, the BE POSITIF programme also includes a “compensation” aspect. 

Teréga is committed to a voluntary carbon offsetting process, with the initial deployment of a support plan for target projects that have received international Gold Standard recognition. This offsetting strategy is also aimed at national projects awarded the Low-Carbon Label, located as close as possible to the territories in which Teréga works, thus contributing to the national GHG reduction targets. 

Teréga also manages nearly 230 area of ecological compensation spaces, helping balance out any residual effects on species or their habits arising from our network construction projects.