Monday the 11th of April saw the first pipe being laid for the biogas heating network in Pont-à-Mousson. This is the first time in the region a heating network will be supplied by the 85% renewable gas.

Engie-Cofely and Suez were selected to carry out the project in June 2014 and the network is scheduled to be operational for October 2016 and is expected to have a lifespan of 27 years.

The first pipe was laid in the presence of the prefect of Meurthe et Moselle, Philippe Mahé, the mayor of Pont-à-Mousson, Henry Lemoine, and representatives of Engie-Cofely and Suez, Eva and Sylvain Roussel Lucas.

The biogas will come from a storage facility for non-hazardous waste (ISDND) Suez. As usual in such projects, an extra gas boiler will be responsible for mitigating peak consumption and possible downtime.

Engie have already released some impressive figures pertaining to the network, including the following facts:

• The network is 6.7 km long;
• The network will  supply the annual energy needs for 2,830 inhabitants (equating to 20% of the population);
• 2720 ​​tons of CO2 emissions will be avoided each year, the equivalent of eliminating car traffic in the town for over 3 years!
• The project, whose cost has been estimated at 5 million, has received funding to the tune of 1.9 million euro from the French heat fund and EUR 300 000 from ERDF.