And what's more, it makes sparkling water! 8)the CO2 will not pollute water bodies
Lorraine could supply coal gas
PASCAL AMBROSI / CORRESPONDANT | Les Echos 06/03/2016
La Française de l'Energie will raise 70 million euros for a first operation by the end of 2017. It wishes to conclude distribution contracts with regional partners.
Coal gas, known as "grisou", was the haunt of miners. It could ultimately lighten France's energy trade balance, by replacing imported natural gas. The French company of Energy in Forbach (Moselle), a research office of around twenty employees, is preparing to operate, at the end of 2017, a first gas capture platform from the underground of the old Moselle coal basin, at Longeville-lès-Saint-Avold. At the end of 2015, the company obtained authorization from the Moselle prefecture to carry out exploratory drilling. A fundraiser, up to 70 million euros, will be launched for this purpose. “We are looking for investors capable of supporting us over the long term, because we are making long-term investments. The duration of exploitation of the Lorraine gas deposit will be of the order of twenty-five to thirty years ", declares Julien Moulin, president of the company which, supported by a first family shareholder and French and European institutional investors, has already committed 40 million euros in the search for underground layers of coal gas. Derived from the Australian group European Gas Limited, present in Lorraine since 2009, Française de l'Energie relies on geological data from the former mine operator , Charbonnages de France, to assess the gas reserves present in the coal seams. Verified by the French Petroleum Institute, these would be around 400 billion cubic meters, ensuring almost ten years of national consumption.
A non-invasive technique
To start production of this gas, composed of almost 96% methane, the company asked the prefect of Moselle for operating permits. Confident, its president argues that this gas production will be done by a non-invasive technique. "We will use natural cracks in coal to pump gas, by simple pressure differential", he explains, stressing in passing that hydraulic fracturing, highly controversial, has been prohibited in France since 2011. Julien Moulin also relies on a study published in early February by the Institut für Energie und Umweltforschung (Ifeu), a German reference laboratory for research dedicated to energy and the environment based in Heidelberg. The results reveal that this high quality and 100% French energy emits on average much less greenhouse gases than other conventional sources. Especially since the proximity of many regional consumers, industrial in particular, will limit transport costs and the final price. Another promise is that the project will create 300 jobs in the medium term. The local population is concerned about the risks associated with the use of chemicals. At the end of November, an association for the protection of the local environment (Apel) was created to oppose the commissioning of six wells in the town of Longeville-lès-Saint-Avold and as many in Zimming. "A meeting in mid-March is organized by the prefect with the company and representatives of the municipalities and other associations," explains Hervé-Cyril Losson, member of appeal. The association also claims the unfavorable vote - purely consultative - of the concerned municipal councils. Ultimately, Française de l'Energie covets the exploitation of coal gas in Saarland and Wallonia.
Française de l'Energie extracts coal gas with a unique process
PASCAL AMBROSI On 07/02/2017
Located near Lachambre, near Saint-Avold, in Moselle, the derrick erected in December by Française de l'Energie does not go unnoticed. Until spring, he drills underground in search of coal gas trapped between 1.000 and 1.500 meters deep, in coal seams that have never been exploited. It has just reached a first 8 meters thick at 1.103 meters. "On this site, we use technology that is still unused in Western Europe", assures Ronan Séguier, doctor of geology. Here, no hydraulic fracturing - moreover prohibited in France - nor water or injected chemicals, as for the exploitation of shale gas. “The gas is extracted by pressure differential, using the natural cracks in the coal,” he explains. Concretely, this involves pumping the water present in the coal seams through a drain, then sent to treatment stations. This operation releases the layer gas which, brought up to the surface via a second drain, can be directly injected into the distribution networks. It is indeed a gas composed of 96% methane against 93% for imported gas. The stakes are high, because the subsoil of the Moselle coal basin represents the equivalent of six years of gas consumption in France. The company hopes to commission several wells in the coming years, generating a production of over 700 million cubic meters over twelve years. To expand their production area, these wells will use an innovative so-called star technique. "Set up with the aim of" zero discharge ", it is a first in France on a drilling site," insists Laurence Franke, spokesperson for the company. To avoid the risk of groundwater pollution, the boreholes are carried out using the triple formwork method in steel and concrete.
How the city of Bethune will heat with mine gas
Rémi Amalvy Usine Nouvelle on 03/01/2019
A true pioneer in this area, Béthune (Pas-de-Calais) will recycle the infamous mine gas to supply its urban heating network. An operation that should allow him to make significant savings, in a city where 28% of the population lives below the poverty line.
It is a first of its kind and a small revolution in the world of energy. The town of Béthune (Pas-de-Calais) will recycle mine gas to supply its district heating network, reports Liberation. Although the extraction of coal from the mining basin was stopped in 1990, the infamous firedamp, responsible for deadly explosions and a great pollutant, is still present in the basements.
Following the expiry of the old and expensive network operating contract, a new call for tenders was launched. Dalkia, with its original proposal, was selected. The mine gas will be used to create heat and electricity. Its use will be coupled with the heat released by the city's waste incinerator in order to limit the use of natural gas.
76% green energy from 2021
Result: district heating powered by green energies at 76% from 2021, and 88% in 2030. In addition, as a recovered energy, firedamp is only taxed at 5% instead of 20% usual. Enough to reduce the cost of megawatt / hour, according to the mayor of Béthune - 28% of the population lives below the poverty line - quoted by Liberation, from 100 to 65 euros (or 300 euros savings per year), and the network from one of the most expensive to one of the cheapest in France.
In addition, there is an extension of the network to cover 6 homes instead of the current 800. A capacity which should make it possible to serve public facilities, such as the hospital, and to make savings to reduce the prices of certain public services, such as those of leisure centers, according to the town hall. A study is underway to extend the system to individual houses.
The contract was validated in July 2017
History is not new. The contract was validated by the city of Béthune in July 2017, as told by La Voix du Nord. To carry the gas, different works take place. Pipes are being constructed to transport the mine gas between the Divion pumping station and the Mont-Liébaut district, where a new boiler room will be built. The costs, estimated at 11,8 million euros, are borne by Dalkia.
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