CMA CGM and ENGIE to Invest in Biomethane Plant at the Port of Le Havre

CMA CGM and ENGIE signed a framework agreement to develop a biomethane production plant in the Le Havre industrial and port area, in France. According to both companies, starting in 2029 the facility, which will be developed by ENGIE, will supply 7,000 tonnes of biomethane per year (equivalent to 100 GWh) to CMA CGM's fleet, avoiding around 23,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.

ENGIE will lead the technical design and permitting process of the project and, once the final investment decision is made, will be responsible for building and operating the plant. CMA CGM will participate as a minority partner through PULSE, its energy fund dedicated to technologies and infrastructure that support the decarbonization of its shipping and logistics operations. The project builds on the partnership that both groups began in 2021.

The plant will convert livestock waste, household biowaste and agricultural waste into biomethane, which will be delivered to CMA CGM's fleet through the European gas grid under a certified mass balance system. The process will also generate 100,000 tonnes of digestate, an organic material that can be used as a natural fertilizer by local farmers, and will allow for the recovery of 13,000 tonnes of biogenic CO2 for commercial use.

CMA CGM aims to achieve carbon neutrality across all its operations by 2050, with a strategy focused on improving operational efficiency and increasing the use of low-carbon energy sources. The company expects that by 2030 more than 200 dual-fuel vessels, capable of running on biomethane, biomethanol and e-fuels, will join its fleet. According to both companies, biomethane reduces greenhouse gas emissions by at least 67% on a full life-cycle basis compared to conventional marine fuels, and can be used in the LNG-powered vessels the group already operates without modifying its bunkering infrastructure.

Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of CMA CGM Group, stated that the partnership with ENGIE seeks to secure access to renewable fuels and contribute to the energy sovereignty of France and Europe. Catherine MacGregor, CEO of ENGIE, noted that the new plant advances the group's ambition to expand its biomethane production capacity to support the energy transition. The project will contribute to ENGIE's goal of reaching 10 TWh of annual biomethane production capacity in Europe by 2035, up from the current 1.2 TWh, as part of a broader expansion by CMA CGM in biomethane that also includes moves in Singapore.