Teréga’s proactive action against atmospheric emissions

Reducing our atmospheric emissions, particularly greenhouse gases, is an integral part of our energy and environmental management systems, so our approach is based on an accurate, real and transparent assessment of the current situation, driven by our BE POSITIF programme.

The atmospheric emissions associated with Teréga’s activities are chiefly of two
kinds:

• greenhouse gases (mainly carbon dioxide-CO₂  and methane-CH₄),

• atmospheric pollutants from the burning of gas (sulphur dioxide-SOx, 
  nitrogen oxides-NOx and volatile organic compounds excluding
  methane).

According to readings taken by approved external organisations, emissions of atmospheric pollutants (NOx, SOx etc.) arising from the burning of gas make up a very small amount.

For GHGs, we have developed accurate monitoring, illustrated by our Carbon Audit. One of its challenges is to allow us to “count well” so that we can act better and set accurate, quantifiable targets. That Carbon Audit enables us to perform monitoring of our indicators in accordance with the ISO 14001 and 50001 standards, to measure the impact of our improvement actions and to meet our regulatory requirements. Our approach has enabled us to shine a light on our main emissions: combustion, diffuse losses and venting. And thus our priority areas for action in terms of reducing emissions.

It implies a balance between carbon emissions and the absorption of carbon from the atmosphere by carbon sinks. To achieve net zero emissions, all GHG emissions worldwide should be compensated by carbon sequestration. A carbon sink is defined as any system absorbing more carbon than it emits. The main natural carbon sinks are soils, forests and oceans. It is estimated they can eliminate between 9.5 and 11 gigatonnes (GT) CO₂ per year.

We are committed to helping reach carbon neutrality by 2050, in line with targets set in the Paris 2015 agreement and the National Low Carbon Strategy.

We expect to reach our first milestone in 2025, reducing our methane emissions by 36% from 2017 levels, in line with the commitments we made under the Oil & Gas Methane Partnership.

A second significant target should be reached by 2030, with the reduction of our emissions under scopes 1, 2 and 3* by 30% from 2021 to 2030. For scopes 1 and 2, we set ourselves the target of a 45% reduction in our emissions, continuing the downward trajectory on which we embarked in 2017. By including scope 3 in that trajectory, we can now also take into account and limit the indirect emissions associated with Teréga’s activities

*scope 1: direct emissions
- scope 2: indirect emissions linked to energy
- scope 3: other indirect emissions - usage of the gas downstream is not included, with
Teréga offering just a transport and storage service

Our top priority actions are aimed at our main source of impact: greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Group has an ambitious plan in place to meet its reduction commitments, adapting its facilities and the way they are run, involving all its workers, and suppliers too for indirect emissions. Our actions illustrate our ability to mobilise, to innovate in how we practise our activities, and yet still uphold the same level of service.

We have introduced a number of initiatives to combat the atmospheric emissions associated with our activities:

• Optimisation of our compression resources

The compression equipment we use has evolved toward electric compressors, which do not use gas and have lower emissions.

We have also developed a digital solution to limit emissions across our compression assets. The OPTIMUS software has allowed real-time optimisation of our machine assets, factoring CO₂ factor in technical solution optimisation.

• Reducing emissions linked to decompression across transport infrastructures

We have studied a number of venting solutions. In 2022, we commissioned our RECOMP recompression systems at our compression stations at Barbaira, Lussagnet and Sauveterre, and also our storage centre at Lussagnet. This device collects the gas from main compressor pipework and reinjects it into the grid, releasing none of it into the atmosphere. As for work on our transport grid, in 2020 we launched a special solution: MOBILE COMP, an articulated lorry fitted with a mobile compressor.

At present, during transport maintenance works, several tens of tonnes of CO₂ are recovered every year through recompression.

When recompression is impossible, the flare principle allows the methane to be burned, reducing its overall global warming potency from 34 to… 1 (the same level as CO₂).

• Diffuse loss reduction

The diffuse losses generated at plants under normal operation are a priority challenge for reducing emissions. Preventive actions have already allowed some reductions. In 2022, we installed different technologies to compressors in our existing estate, to prevent leaks from their seals. Those solutions will be compared in 2023 so that they can be rolled out at a later date to the rest of our compressors. Adaptation of operating practices to the new flow management has amplified the benefits of these technologies.

• Methanation: let’s recycle CO₂

As part of our proactive approach, we are also preparing solutions for tomorrow’s world. This means we are involved in a number of research projects looking at methanation. This process allows synthetic methane to be produced from hydrogen and CO₂. The development of this sector, supported by Teréga, will allow the injection of synthetic methane into our grid, at the same time reducing CO₂ emissions, as they will be recycled and re-used.

• Dialogue with suppliers and development of a new methodology for
  calculating indirect emissions (scope 3):

In 2022, along with about ten other pilot suppliers, we started on a process to study our indirect emissions (scope 3). That work enabled us to start work to quantify those emissions using methodology that takes activity-based as well as monetary factors into account as much as possible. We were also able to set targets for reductions by 2030. In 2023, we are continuing the dialogue with our suppliers so that together we can define a low-carbon trajectory and common focus areas for reductions.

To reduce polluting emissions due to road traffic, Teréga has drawn up a Mobility Plan, submitted to Pau Béarn Mobilité, which defines a set of measures to optimise the efficiency of employee travel. Therefore, since 2018, we have embarked on the progressive renewal of our fleet of vehicles: around fifty vehicles, depending on the network and our operational needs, have been switched over to NGV (Natural Gas for Vehicles). On some of our sites we have built our own private NGV filling stations.