Teréga’s environmental commitment is set out in its global strategy through the BE POSITIF programme. One of the major objectives of Research & Innovation has therefore naturally been dedicated to this subject in order to study and implement solutions to reduce our environmental footprint and improve the social acceptance of our operations.
Our R&I ambitions regarding the environment
Teréga’s R&I contributes to the BE POSITIVE programme’s proactive approach by proposing solutions to:
Reduce our carbon footprint and generate environmental value by minimizing offsets
By seeking solutions to improve the energy efficiency of our processes, for example through the recovery of the unavoidable energy from our facilities (amount of energy lost during normal operation that could be recovered under certain conditions), reducing our methane (CH4) emissions and establishing innovative carbon offsets.
Be proactive with regard to our regulatory obligations
By taking the lead to reduce the impacts of our operations on construction sites and/or from operation of the grid, to control the impact of gas storage on aquifers or to improve and enhance the environmental management of our easements.
Anticipate the social acceptance of current and future projects
By developing communication methods and tools to improve the social acceptance of subsurface operations, as well as by studying the environmental impact of new technologies relating to the new gas sectors using life cycle analysis (LCA).
Our R&I projects related to the BE POSITIF programme
Implementation of these ambitions requires the development of projects that allow us to study and test potential solutions. Here are some examples:
The SRGG project: Recovery of Gas from Seals System
One of the priorities of our BE POSITIF programme is to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, in particular methane emissions. Among these emissions, we have identified a priority lever for action: diffuse natural gas losses. These diffuse losses are small amounts of gas that escape from certain facilities during normal operation but which ultimately constitute a large part of our emissions. We are therefore carrying out several Research & Innovation actions in this regard, in particular through the SRGG project (recovery of gas from seals system).
This project aims to test an innovative solution for recovery of gases that escape from compressor seals during normal operation. An auxiliary compressor is used to recover, recompress and reinject this gas into the Teréga grid, thus avoiding it from being released into the atmosphere. An industrial pilot unit will be commissioned in September 2021 at the Mont compression station in Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
If the pilot project is successful, our goal is to roll out this system to the other compression stations across our grid, which would avoid the emission of approximately 13,000tonnes of Co2e (CO2 equivalent) per year.
The Mobile COMP project: mobile recompression
Another challenge in reducing greenhouse gases in our businesses lies in the work phases on our pipelines. Before any operation, it is necessary to empty the gas contained in the section of pipeline in question. The surrounding shut-off valves must therefore be closed. The gas trapped in the area is released into the atmosphere if nothing is done to recover it.
Since 2020, Teréga has equipped itself with a specific solution to avoid these releases during work. Mobile COMP is a trailer truck equipped with a mobile compressor, which can be moved to worksites. It completely drains the pipeline of the gas it contains through a suction system before reinjecting it into another one, without any loss or release into the atmosphere.
Thanks to our Mobile COMP recompression solution, several tens of tonnes of CO2e are recovered each year.
The "0 phyto" project: replacement of plant treatment products
Teréga’s commitment to the environment also means reducing the impact of our operations on biodiversity. Since our pipelines are buried underground, the infrastructure construction and maintenance works we have to carry out have an impact on the natural environment. We must also maintain the easements (strips of land our pipelines run through) and the areas surrounding our infrastructure, such as delivery stations, to ensure that the facilities are safe.
Our objective is to minimise the impact of our operations on the environment in order to preserve biodiversity. We are therefore conducting research and tests on various alternative solutions such as biocontrol products to replace the plant treatment products used on the delivery stations. We regularly share results with other stakeholders involved in environmental protection in order to supplement the feedback from our experiences. If the tests are successful, the selected solutions will be deployed on a larger scale.
