What is micromethanization ?

As solar or wind power, methanization is part of the family of renewable energies. As part of a sustainable development approach, its principle is based on the energy recovery from organic waste. The process consists of placing this finely chopped organic waste in a tank in the absence of air to accelerate their natural degradation for producing biogas (mainly made up of methane). This gas can be used, like natural gas, to produce electrical energy and heat using a cogeneration engine. It can also be injected into a natural gas network after purification.

Current anaerobic digestion units are very often very large installations, the investment cost of which exceeds several million euros. They are suitable for large farmers, and require the smallest to form an operation association to transform their waste..

Micro-methanization refers to production units with generated electric a power of less than 80 kW. The modest size of these anaerobic digestion units made their profitability difficult a few years ago. But especially in France, everything changed in december 2016, when France adopted new rules for the buyback of electricity from anaerobic digestion. With a price displayed at 0.175 € / kWh for small production units, micro-methanization has suddenly become more profitable. The French legal framework also stipulates that a premium of 0.05 € / kWh can be added to the basic tariff if the operator recovers at least 60% of the effluents from his operation. The capital cost has become more attractive and is now part of a local logic of circular economy which attracts farmers but also food industries or local communities.